Research trends on triclosan: a bibliometric analysis and comprehensive review

Triclosan (TCS) is a common chemical antibacterial agent widely used in personal care and medical products. With its increasing application, TCS is continuously released into the environment, and its impacts on ecological systems and human health have garnered growing attention. In this study, research progress on triclosan was comprehensively reviewed through bibliometric methods. All relevant articles and reviews published between 2014 and 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometric analyses were conducted using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix software. The results revealed a total of 4,019 articles in the field of TCS research, involving 17,346 researchers from 435 institutions across 98 countries/regions, and were published in 891 journals. The annual output of TCS-related literature showed an increasing trend, with China and the United States publishing the largest number of articles. "Science of The Total Environment" was the most productive journal, publishing 316 articles, while "Environmental Science & Technology" received the highest number of citations (8,637 times). Current research focuses on the interactions between TCS and other environmental pollutants (e.g., microplastics and heavy metals), as well as its impacts on organismal health and removal/degradation mechanisms. These findings are expected to enhance the understanding of TCS research characteristics and provide guidance for future research directions.