Plant- and microbe-based remediation of textile effluent-contaminated environments: mapping global research trends and emerging scientific directions

Abstract

Textile industries generate large volumes of effluents containing spent dyes, heavy metals, and other recalcitrant contaminants. The discharge or inappropriate disposal of textile effluents can adversely affect surface water, soil and other environmental matrices through the accumulation of dyes, heavy metals, salts, and other contaminants. For the remediation of such contaminated environments, biological approaches involving plants and microorganisms have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional treatment technologies. However, the rapid expansion and interdisciplinary nature of this research area have made it difficult to comprehensively assess its developmental trajectory. Therefore, this study presents a bibliometric analysis of global research on plant- and microbe-based remediation of textile effluent-contaminated environments using the Scopus database. A total of 359 publications from 1998 to 2025 were analyzed using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. The results revealed an annual growth rate of 13.83%, with nearly half of the scientific output produced since 2020. Bibliometric life cycle analysis projected continued growth of the field, with peak scientific production expected around 2029. Keyword and thematic analyses demonstrated a progressive diversification from conventional dye decolorization studies toward broader themes involving microbial consortia, bioremediation, phytoremediation, mixed-contaminant remediation, and environmental assessment. Co-citation and coupling analyses identified a cohesive intellectual structure centered on biodegradation, wastewater treatment, and environmental remediation. These findings demonstrate increasing integration of biological remediation approaches across interconnected contaminated environments and highlight the growing importance of plant-microbe systems. Future research should prioritize contaminant transformation pathways, microbial interactions, multi-contaminant remediation, and long-term ecological consequences by integrating molecular approaches with plant- and microbe-based remediation.