Analysis of Research Progress on River Non-Point Source Pollution Flux Based on the Web of Science Database

Non-point source pollution is one of the major forms of pollution threatening the water environment safety of watersheds, and the precise calculation of river pollutant flux is key to the identification and management of non-point source pollution in watersheds. This paper employs bibliometric methods to analyze 1049 publications related to river non-point source pollutant flux from the Web of Science database spanning from 2002 to 2023. Using tools such as Citespace and VOSviewer, the research systematically reviews the progress in this field from aspects including authors, institutions, countries, keywords, and research trends. The results show that the United States, China, and Canada are the top three countries in terms of publication volume; the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences is the institution with the most publications; and research hotspots are concentrated around keywords such as "runoff," "climate change," and "streamflow." Meanwhile, "surface runoff," "land cover," and "human activities" are important research directions for the recent and future studies. Currently, the main methods for calculating pollutant flux include the mean estimation method, linear interpolation method, and linear regression method. In China, there are still issues such as a single management model in the prevention and control of non-point source pollution in watersheds. It is suggested to draw on international experiences to construct a systematic governance framework. This paper aims to provide a theoretical reference for the research and management of river non-point source pollution flux in China.