Microplastic Research Trends in the Gulf Region from a Global Perspective

This study provides the first bibliometric analysis on the current state and emerging trends of microplastic (MP) pollution research globally and within the Gulf region. The analysis reveals a robust global research trajectory with an exponential increase in publications, particularly from 2015 onwards, contrasting sharply with the more modest but growing body of research focused on the Gulf region, which accounts for only about 1.1% of global outputs. This regional research gap is highlighted by the unique challenges in the Gulf region linked to its dense industrial activities and substantial waste production. This bibliometric analysis study also identifies leading countries and institutions, with China and Iran emerging as significant players in their respective scopes, globally and in the Gulf region, respectively. Despite the increasing number of studies, the Gulf region exhibits underrepresentation, suggesting the need for enhanced regional research to better integrate this area into the global discourse on MPs. Significant insights from the keyword analysis reveal spots of MP research have remained unexplored in the Gulf region. Trend topics analysis further illustrates an evolving focus from basic interactions of MPs with marine environments to more complex issues like environmental health and ecosystem impacts, suggesting a maturing field that increasingly addresses the broader implications of MP pollution. This study systematically explores the current state of MP research on both the global and in the Gulf region, while identifying specific topics of MP research for future studies on the topic at hand.