A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY RESEARCH

Objective: To analyze the scientific evolution of studies on groundwater quality in artesian wells through a bibliometric approach, identifying publication trends, thematic focuses, and patterns of international scientific collaboration. Methods: A bibliometric review was conducted using the Scopus database, covering the period from 2010 to 2025. Bibliographic records were organized and analyzed with VOSviewer (v.1.6.20), applying full counting to examine co-occurrence of keywords, citation networks, co-citation patterns, and co-authorship relationships. A total of 132 documents were initially retrieved, of which 73 met the inclusion criteria and composed the final dataset. Results: The results indicate a gradual increase in scientific production over the analyzed period, with research mainly organized around two thematic axes: drinking water quality and groundwater contamination monitoring. Keyword networks highlighted water contamination as a central descriptor, while the United States, Brazil, and China emerged as leading contributors within the global citation network. Conclusion: Overall, the findings reveal the growing scientific relevance of groundwater quality research and highlight emerging research directions related to contamination assessment and sustainable water resource management.