Occupational exposure to nanomaterials: A bibliometric study of publications over the last decade

Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2023 Apr:249:114132. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114132. Epub 2023 Feb 6.

Abstract

Owing to the increased use of nanomaterials, the number of employees and professionals who are exposed to these chemicals is on the rise, despite the paucity of organized data on the possible dangers associated with exposure to these compounds. Multiple studies reveal that the lack of nanosafety awareness among employees and businesses is a serious problem that must be addressed. This shortage of information may result from insufficient knowledge generation or transmission. Academic publications play a significant role in producing new knowledge. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of published research on workplace nanosafety which this bibliometric analysis aims to establish the permeability and significance of nanosafety themes from an occupational safety and health viewpoint in academia, to gain a better understanding of the knowledge generation phase in the area, and detected advantages and disadvantages of the topic. Scopus was used as the data source in this study. A total of 1170 publications were gathered and analyzed. The results indicated that the United States is a leader in several aspects of nanosafety at the workplace. The synthesis of co-citation and author-keyword phrases provided insight into determining the focal points of the current study. Analysis of meta data indicates that the number of writers is rising. Nanomaterial toxicity, risk assessment, and occupational exposure are the three hottest topics in this field, according to the result. In addition, the findings included worldwide growth rate, collaborative research fields, keywords, journals, and funding agencies. The advantages and disadvantages of the knowledge creation phase of nanosafety at the workplace were examined in the conclusion.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Nano-exposure; Nano-risk; Nanosafety; Occupational exposure; Occupational safety.

MeSH terms

  • Bibliometrics
  • Humans
  • Nanostructures*
  • Occupational Exposure* / analysis
  • Risk Assessment
  • United States
  • Workplace