A research synthesis on heavy metals as emerging atmospheric pollutants: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis (1973-2024)
Journal: Natural Science Review
Year: 2026

Atmospheric heavy metals are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutants capable of long-range transport, posing significant ecological and public health risks. This review synthesizes five decades of research (1973–2024) on emission sources, transport mechanisms, deposition pathways, and monitoring approaches, supported by a bibliometric analysis of 1642 Scopus-indexed articles. Anthropogenic activities, including industrial operations, mining and smelting, vehicular emissions, and agricu