Avaliação bibliométrica da produção científica sobre poluição plástica marinha: uma análise de tendências, lacunas e perspectivas no Sul Global, Norte Global e Brasil

Abstract

This study conducts a bibliometric assessment of scientific publication on plastic pollution in coastal environments, comparing the Global South and the Global North (1975-2024) and analyzing Brazilian output (1997–2024). The research hypothesizes that scientific production is disproportionately concentrated in the Global North, determined by consolidated scientific infrastructure rather than by the magnitude of environmental problems, tested through the Mismanaged Waste Index (MWI), shoreline length, and waste generation volume. A total of 13,385 international articles and 482 Brazilian publications were analyzed using Spearman correlation, bootstrap, Lotka's Law, and co-authorship network analysis. The results confirmed the hypothesis. Global production is heavily concentrated in the Global North: the ten most productive countries account for 60.9% of the literature, and China, the United States, and Italy alone represent 32.8% of the total - more than all of Latin America (7.1%) and far exceeding the African continent (<1%). North-North collaborations represent 57.2% of partnerships, against 10.8% for South-South. The negative correlation between production and MWI (ρ = −0.549) confirms that countries with the worst waste management publish the least, directly supporting the hypothesis. The correlation with waste generation (ρ = 0.729) requires critical analysis: the largest generators are the largest economies, meaning this result is mediated by GDP and population size, not by environmental engagement. At the national scale, the Southeast (45%) and Northeast (25%) concentrate 70% of Brazilian authors, while Maranhão accounts for only 0.5% and Piauí for 0.1%, despite their extensive coastlines. Brazil collaborated more with the United Kingdom than with Argentina and Peru combined. It is concluded that structural inequalities are reproduced both globally and nationally, and that equitable funding policies and South-South cooperation are essential to transform this scenario.