A bibliometric analysis of pre- and post-Stockholm Convention research publications on the Dirty Dozen Chemicals (DDCs) in the African environment

Chijioke Olisah; Adedapo O Adeola; Kingsley O Iwuozor; Kovo G Akpomie; Jeanet Conradie; Kayode A Adegoke; Kabir O Oyedotun; Joshua O Ighalo; James F Amaku

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136371

A bibliometric analysis of pre- and post-Stockholm Convention research publications on the Dirty Dozen Chemicals (DDCs) in the African environment

Chemosphere. 2022 Dec;308(Pt 2):136371. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136371. Epub 2022 Sep 8.

Authors

Chijioke Olisah¹, Adedapo O Adeola², Kingsley O Iwuozor³, Kovo G Akpomie⁴, Jeanet Conradie⁵, Kayode A Adegoke⁶, Kabir O Oyedotun⁷, Joshua O Ighalo⁸, James F Amaku⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Botany, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research (CMR), Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Electronic address: olisah.chijioke@gmail.com.
² Department of Chemical Sciences, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, 2028, South Africa.
³ Department of Pure & Industrial Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa; Department of Pure & Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.
⁶ Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, 2028, South Africa.
⁷ Department of Physics, Institute of Applied Materials, SARChI Chair in Carbon Technology and Materials, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
⁸ Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P.M.B, 5025, Awka, Nigeria.
⁹ Department of Chemistry, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria.

PMID: 36088967
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136371

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that stay in the environment for a long time. To address the toxicity issues, global nations, including 53 African countries, ratified the Stockholm Convention to minimize or eliminate the production of 12 POPs known as the "Dirty Dozen". However, these Dirty Dozen Chemicals (DDCs) still exist in significant concentration in the African environment, prompting numerous research to investigate the level of their occurrences. Here, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to examine the publication trends in DDCs-related research in Africa using articles published between 1949 and 2021 from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 884 articles were published within the survey period, with a publication/author and author/publication ratio of 0.36 and 2.76, respectively. South Africa ranked first in terms of number of publications (n = 133, 15.05%), and total citations (n = 3115), followed by Egypt (n = 117), Nigeria (n = 77), USA (n = 40), and Ghana (n = 38). Research collaboration was relatively high (collaboration index = 2.88). The insignificant difference between the theoretical and observed Lotka's distribution indicates Lotka's law does not fit the DDC literature. An annual growth rate of 0.57% implies that a substantial increase of articles in years to come is not expected. More research programs should be established in other African countries to measure up to South Africa's supremacy. This is critical in order to provide a basis for effective compliance to the Stockholm Convention on POPs in Africa.

Keywords: Africa; Bibliometric; Organic pollutants; Pesticides; Pollution; Stockholm convention.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bibliometrics
Egypt
Environmental Pollutants* / analysis
Ghana
Persistent Organic Pollutants*

Substances

Environmental Pollutants