Community-Based and Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring: A Global Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Air pollution is one of the most significant environmental challenges of recent years, and monitoring it through accessible, cost-effective methods is crucial to protecting public health. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature at the intersection of citizen science, low-cost sensor technologies, and air quality monitoring, during the period 1996-2026. The study aims to systematically map the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, collaboration patterns, and future trends of this interdisciplinary field. A total of 2,571 scientific publications from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases were analyzed using the bibliometrix package in R and VOSviewer software. Performance analysis, science mapping, co-citation networks, keyword cooccurrence analysis, and thematic evolution mapping were conducted. The field is rapidly developing with an annual growth rate of 15.27%. A total of 9,642 authors and 978 scientific sources were identified. The USA is the most prolific country with 519 publications. The most frequently used keywords were LCS (559), air quality (432), and air pollution (349). The keyword clustering identified four main thematic clusters: sensor technologies and monitoring infrastructure; measurement and calibration; particulate matter (PM) characterization using machine learning; and citizen engagement and environmental equity. The international collaboration rate is 22.29%, and this rate is lower in developing countries and regions, such as Africa and South America, which remain significantly underrepresented. Community-based, low-cost air quality monitoring is one of the most dynamic subfields of environmental health research. Sensor calibration and data quality standardization remain the most critical research issues in the field. Capacity building in developing countries, strengthening the environmental justice dimension, and developing AIassisted calibration methods are suggested as priority topics for future research.