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Special Articles

Bibliometric Analysis of PFAS Geological Environment Remediation Research: Temporal changes in Source–Media–Remediation Mechanism Linkage Structure

PFAS 지질환경 정화 연구의 계량서지학적 분석: 오염원–매체–정화기작 연계 구조의 시대별 변화

Taeyong Kim1
,
Junyong Heo1
,
Hyerim Lee2
,
Linn Kim3
,
Chiheon Lee4
,
Sanhwi Kim4
,
Taeseop Kim4
,
Minjune Yang56*
김 태용1
,
허 준용1
,
이 혜림2
,
김 린3
,
이 치헌4
,
김 산휘4
,
김 태섭4
,
양 민준56*
1PhD Student, Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth and Environmental System Sciences, Pukyong National University
2MS Student, Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth and Environmental System Sciences, Pukyong National University
3MS Student, Department of Eco-friendly Energy Technology, Pukyong National University
4Undergraduate Student, Major of Environmental Geosciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Sciences, Pukyong National University
5Associate Professor, Major of Environmental Geosciences, Division of Earth and Environmental System Sciences, Pukyong National University
6President, Wible Co., Ltd.
1국립부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공 박사과정
2국립부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공 석사과정
3국립부경대학교 친환경에너지융합기술과 석사과정
4국립부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 환경지질과학전공 학부과정
5국립부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 환경지질과학전공 부교수
6㈜와이블 대표이사
*Corresponding Author
31 December 2025. pp. 679-691
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Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as major environmental contaminants worldwide, with research on remediation technologies growing rapidly since the 2010s. We applied bibliometric methods to 4,850 PFAS geological environmental papers (2000–2024) collected from the OpenAlex database, establishing a classification framework based on the source–pathway–response (SPR) conceptual model. We defined 11 categories across three aspects (four contamination sources, three geological media, and four remediation methods) and performed multi-label classification through keyword matching in titles and abstracts. Adsorption (35.3%) dominated remediation method research, increasing from 23.5 to 41.5% in the recent period (2020–2024), confirming its role as the core PFAS remediation technology. Thermal treatment showed approximately 11-fold increase in publications (from 10 to 114 papers), emerging as a novel remediation technology. Groundwater research increased from 7.1 to 11.8%, reflecting expanded drinking-water source protection studies, whereas military/fire training sites research grew from 3.7 to 7.6%. Co-occurrence network analysis using the Jaccard similarity coefficient revealed that network density increased from 0.564 to 0.709 (+25.7%), indicating strengthened inter-category research connectivity. Soil/sediment research maintained the highest weighted degree (0.997 to 1.096) and betweenness centrality (0.104 to 0.114) throughout the study period (2000–2024), functioning as a key hub connecting contamination sources and remediation methods. Military/fire sites showed the largest increase in weighted degree (+0.457, 2.2-fold) and betweenness centrality (+0.057, 6.2-fold), indicating expanded integrated research approaches for military site PFAS contamination. We present the knowledge structure of geological PFAS environmental remediation research systematically through quantitative analysis of large-scale bibliographic data and provide a foundation for future research planning.

Keywords
PFAS
bibliometrics
co-occurrence network
source–pathway–response framework

과불화화합물(PFAS)은 전 세계적으로 주요 환경 오염물질로 부상하고 있으며, 2010년대 이후 정화 기술 개발에 대한 연구가 증가하고 있다. 본 연구는 OpenAlex 데이터베이스에서 수집한 PFAS 지질 환경 관련 논문 4,850편(2000–2024년)을 대상으로 계량서지학적 방법론을 적용하여 Source–Pathway–Response (SPR) 개념 모델에 기반한 분류 체계를 정립하였다. 3가지 측면에서 11개 카테고리(오염원 4개, 지질매체 3개, 정화기작 4개)를 정의하고, 제목 및 초록 내 키워드 매칭을 통해 multi-label 분류를 수행하였다. 정화기작에서 흡착(35.3%)이 가장 높은 비율을 차지하였으며, post-period (2020–2024년)에는 23.5%에서 41.5%로 증가하여 PFAS 정화 연구의 핵심 기술로 확인되었다. 열처리 기법은 pre-period 대비 약 11배의 논문 수 증가(10편→114편)를 보여 신흥 정화 기술로 나타났다. 지하수 연구는 7.1%에서 11.8%로 증가하여 음용수원 보호에 대한 연구가 확대되었으며, 군사/소방훈련시설 연구는 3.7%에서 7.6%로 증가하였다. Jaccard 유사도 계수를 활용한 공출현 네트워크 분석 결과, 네트워크 밀도가 0.564에서 0.709로 25.7% 증가하여 카테고리 간 연구 연결이 강화되었다. 토양/퇴적물은 양 시기 모두 가장 높은 가중 연결강도(0.997→1.096)와 매개중심성(0.104→0.114)을 나타내어 오염원과 정화기작을 연결하는 핵심 허브 역할을 수행하였다. 군사/소방훈련시설은 가중 연결강도(+0.457, 2.2배)와 매개중심성(+0.057, 6.2배)에서 11개 카테고리 중 가장 높은 증가를 보여 군사기지 PFAS 오염에 대한 통합적 연구 접근이 확대되고 있음을 나타낸다. 본 연구는 대규모 문헌 데이터를 활용한 정량적 분석을 통해 PFAS 지질환경 연구의 지식 구조를 체계적으로 제시하였으며, 향후 연구 방향 설정에 기초 자료를 제공한다.

키워드
PFAS
계량서지학
공출현 네트워크
source–pathway–response 프레임워크
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Information
  • Publisher :Korean Society of Engineering Geology
  • Publisher(Ko) :대한지질공학회
  • Journal Title :The Journal of Engineering Geology
  • Journal Title(Ko) :지질공학
  • Volume : 35
  • No :4
  • Pages :679-691
  • Received Date : 2025-12-02
  • Revised Date : 2025-12-21
  • Accepted Date : 2025-12-22
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.9720/kseg.2025.4.679
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