🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the growing concern of soil microplastic (MP) contamination by systematically reviewing research advances from 2013 to 2024 to clarify pollution mechanisms, thematic evolution, and future directions. Using bibliometric analysis via CiteSpace and VOSviewer, the authors integrated keyword co-occurrence, clustering, burst detection, and collaboration networks to identify ten core themes—including plastic pollution dynamics and microbial community responses—and proposed, for the first time, a three-stage evolutionary trajectory: “initial exploration → expansion and deepening → integration and interdisciplinarity,” underpinning a domain-specific knowledge map. Results show a steady annual increase in publications, peaking at 956 papers in 2024; strong collaborative ties among core authors and institutions; and an urgent need for multi-scale ecological risk assessment and targeted mitigation strategies. This work provides both theoretical foundations and methodological frameworks for soil MP monitoring, risk management, and policy-informed intervention.
📝 Abstract
This paper aims to comprehensively grasp the research status and development trends of soil microplastics (MPs). It collects studies from the Web of Science Core Collection covering the period from 2013 to 2024. Employing CiteSpace and VOSviewer, the paper conducts in - depth analyses of literature regarding the environmental impacts of microplastics. These analyses involve keyword co - occurrence, clustering, burst term identification, as well as co - occurrence analysis of authors and institutions. Microplastics can accumulate in soil, transfer through food chains, and ultimately affect human health, making the research on them essential for effective pollution control. Focusing on the international research on the impacts of microplastics on soil and ecosystems, the study reveals a steadily increasing trend in the number of publications each year, reaching a peak of 956 articles in 2024. A small number of highly productive authors contribute significantly to the overall research output. The keyword clustering analysis results in ten major clusters, including topics such as plastic pollution and microbial communities. The research on soil microplastics has evolved through three distinct stages: the preliminary exploration phase from 2013 to 2016, the expansion phase from 2017 to 2020, and the integration phase from 2021 to 2024. For future research, multi - level assessments of the impacts of microplastics on soil ecosystems and organisms should be emphasized, in order to fully uncover the associated hazards and develop practical solutions.