Bibliometrics and Visualization Analysis of Three Obligate Organohalide Respiring Bacteria Genera: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) facilitate the reductive dehalogenation of toxic halogenated compounds in the environment, which supports their growth and proliferation. Research conducted on OHRB has achieved notable advancements. However, given the intricacy of the ecosystem and the methodologies employed for microbial isolation, numerous constraints persist. Further exploration is imperative to elucidate the physiological characteristics, ecological functions, and technological applications of OHRB. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and insights of prior research via a bibliometric analysis of three obligate OHRB genera-Dehalococcoides, Dehalobacter, and Dehalogenimonas-over a three-decade period from 1994 to 2024, based on the Web of Science (WOS) database. The results show that research on these three bacterial genera has advanced in sequence since the initiation of studies in this field. The research area encompasses the identification and isolation of novel OHRB species, the gene sequencing of related enzymes, and the role of microorganisms in the remediation of environmental pollutants, reflecting a gradual transition from individual investigations of OHRB to the applications of microorganisms in remediating complex environmental pollution. This study systematically reviewed the past research history of this field and conducted an in-depth analysis of research hotspots. The integration of this analysis with technological development trends and practical application requirements provides a theoretical basis and innovative concepts for future research directions in the field of ecological environment restoration.

Keywords: bibliometric; organohalide-respiring bacteria; reductive dechlorination.

Figure 1

Screening flowchart. Comprehensive data screening procedure.

Figure 2

Trend chart of publication years of articles. Annual publications on Dhc, Dhb, Dhgm, participating organizations of the year, and summation of total citations.

Figure 3

Map of the number of publications by country. The utilization of colors in this context serves to denote the quantity of publications from each nation. The intensity of the color, which is expressed as a darker shade, corresponds to the number of publications from a given nation.

Figure 4

A co-occurrence diagram of cooperation between countries. A node represents a country, and the number of arcs in the outer circle indicates the extent of cooperation. The lines represent inter-country cooperation, and thicker lines indicate closer cooperation.

Figure 5

The keyword co-linear graph. For each node in the graph, a corresponding keyword exists, with node size corresponding to the occurrence frequency. Association among keywords occurs through edges connecting nodes, with thicker edges signifying more frequent or more intense occurrence relationships. Clusters or categories of keywords are differentiated by different colors, while color brightness indicates the relative time of occurrence—increasing brightness indicates more recent occurrence.

Figure 6

The keyword timeline graph. The graph utilizes diverse sizes and colors to represent different keywords. The images are plotted according to two criteria: the year of occurrence of the keywords and the closeness of the links with other keywords.

Figure 7

The keyword outbreak chart. The length of the color bar and the color shades represent the keywords in the corresponding year of research. The color bar’s length is indicative of the duration of the keyword’s presence in the data. The red bar indicates the period during which the keyword experienced an outbreak.

Figure 8

The keyword analysis chart of reviews. Other elements correspond to the annotations of Figure 5.