Macroplastic pollution in Latin America and the Caribbean: a scientometric review of research trends and gaps

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Abstract

Plastic pollution is a growing environmental concern, with macroplastics posing significant risks to human and animal health. However, despite increasing global attention, there remains a limited understanding of how research on macroplastic pollution has evolved across Latin America in marine and freshwater ecosystems. This study aims to conduct a scientometric review of macroplastic research in Latin America, identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities for future studies. A systematic search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases, using bibliometric tools such as Bibliometrix and VOSviewer to analyze publication trends. Mann-Kendall and Pettitt's tests indicated a significant increase in the number of publications on macroplastic pollution in Latin America since 2013, which may be linked to the rise of global policies aimed at reducing plastic use due to its environmental impact. A total of 206 relevant studies were identified, with Marine Pollution Bulletin being the most prominent journal in this field. Research on macroplastic pollution was primarily conducted in marine coastal beaches (56.6%) and marine islands (12%), while freshwater ecosystems (7.2%) remained underrepresented. Few studies have explored trophic transfer, plastic fragmentation, or macroplastic ingestion by non-marine species. Our findings highlight the need to expand macroplastic research in Latin America, particularly in river and stream systems, which remain critically understudied. Future work in the region should extend sampling beyond beaches into inland and deep-sea environments, integrate hydrological context, incorporate multiple plastic size fractions within unified sampling designs, broaden taxonomic coverage, evaluate policy effectiveness, and strengthen citizen-science initiatives in inland waters to support evidence-based decision-making.

Camargo, A., Figueiredo, B., Staichak, G., Silva, A., Garello, N., Blettler, M., Caixeta, D., & Girard, P. (2026). Macroplastic pollution in Latin America and the Caribbean: a scientometric review of research trends and gaps. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, 54(2). doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3856/vol54-issue2-fulltext-3500

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