Topics and Trends in Most Cited Water Quality and Pollution Assessment Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Water Quality and Pollution Assessment research in the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 research in Water Quality and Pollution Assessment is defined by a strong focus on heavy metals, human health risk assessment, and the Water Quality Index. We observe a significant shift towards health-centric risk assessments and principal component analysis, indicating a more rigorous, data-driven approach to evaluating environmental and public health hazards.

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Updated September 14, 2026

At a glance

Field
Water Quality and Pollution Assessment
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
5,957
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Heavy metals, Human health risk assessment, Water Quality Index
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
58–138
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved June 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 5,957
13818m citations

Current and future global water scarcity intensifies when accounting for surface water quality

Edward R. Jones et al.Nature Climate Change202410.1038/s41558-024-02007-0

Edward R. JonesUtrecht University, Netherlands

Water scarcitysurface water qualityWater quality assessmentwater scarcity intensificationwater quality degradationFreshwater availabilitywater stresspollution impact on water resourcesWater quality parametersfuture water scarcity projectionsintegrated water assessmentwater securityWater pollutionwater quality constraints
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#2 of 5,957
11818m citations

Pollution analysis of metals in the sediments of lagoon lakes in Türkiye: Toxicological risk assessment and source insights

Bayram Yüksel et al.Process Safety and Environmental Protection202410.1016/j.psep.2024.11.085

Fikret UstaoğluGiresun University, Turkey

potentially toxic elementslagoon lakesAkgölSimenit LakeSediment contaminationenrichment factorcontamination factorPollution Load IndexPotential Ecological Risk IndexHazard index (HI)Carcinogenic risk assessmentPrincipal component analysis (PCA)Hierarchical clusteringchromium pollutionnickel pollutioncadmium ecological riskNon-carcinogenic risk assessmentIndustrial effluentsAgricultural runoffSediment quality
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#3 of 5,957
10218m citations

Appraisal of metallic accumulation in the surface sediment of a fish breeding dam in Türkiye: A stochastical approach to ecotoxicological risk assessment

Bayram Yüksel et al.Marine Pollution Bulletin202410.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116488

Fikret UstaoğluGiresun University, Türkiye

metallic accumulationSedimentsfish breeding damstochastical approachToxicological risk assessmentSediment contaminationHeavy metalsAquatic ecosystemsProbabilistic risk assessmentSediment qualityTrace metalsfreshwater aquacultureenvironmental monitoring
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#4 of 5,957
9318m citations

Metal pollution assessment in the surface sediments of a river system in Türkiye: Integrating toxicological risk assessment and source identification

Fikret Ustaoğlu et al.Marine Pollution Bulletin202410.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116514

Bayram YükselGiresun University, Türkiye

metal pollutionSedimentsriver systemTürkiyeToxicological risk assessmentSource apportionmentHeavy metalsSediment contaminationPollution indicesEcological risk assessmentGeochemical processesPollution sourcesMultivariate statistical analysiscontamination factorenrichment factor
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#5 of 5,957
9218m citations

Toxicological risk assessment using spring water quality indices in plateaus of Giresun Province/Türkiye: a holistic hydrogeochemical data analysis

Selin Karadeniz et al.Environmental Geochemistry and Health202410.1007/s10653-024-02054-8

S. Karadeniz, Fikret Ustaoğlu, Handan Aydın, Bayram YükselGiresun University, Turkey

spring water qualitypotentially toxic elementsWater Quality IndexGiresun, Türkiyemacro-elementsTrace metalsArsenicHuman health risk assessmentNon-carcinogenic risk assessmentCarcinogenic risk assessmentSeasonal variationPrincipal component analysis (PCA)Pearson correlation coefficientHierarchical clusteringGeogenic sourcesPollution sourcesHydrogeochemistryPhysicochemical parametersAgricultural runoffWater pollution
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#7 of 5,957
7018m citations

Investigation of groundwater quality in the Southern Coast of the Black Sea: application of computational health risk assessment in Giresun, Türkiye

Mehmet Metin Yazman et al.Environmental Science and Pollution Research202410.1007/s11356-024-34712-w

Bayram YükselGiresun University, Türkiye

groundwater qualityBlack Sea Southern CoastGiresun, TürkiyeHuman health risk assessmentdrinking water contaminationheavy metal analysisWater quality parametersCarcinogenic risk assessmentNon-carcinogenic risk assessmentHazard quotient (HQ)Hazard index (HI)Spatial analysisexposure pathwaysIngestion exposureDermal exposurepopulation exposure assessment
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#8 of 5,957
6918m citations

RETRACTED: Trace element pollution tracking in the complex multi-aquifer groundwater system of Al-Hassa oasis (Saudi Arabia) using spatial, chemometric and index-based techniques

S I Abba et al.Environmental Research202410.1016/j.envres.2024.118320

Sani I. AbbaKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia

Trace metalsAquifersAl-Hassa regionSpatial analysisMultivariate statistical analysisIndex-based techniquesSource apportionmentGroundwater contaminationSaudi Arabia groundwater
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#9 of 5,957
6818m citations

Reliable water quality prediction and parametric analysis using explainable AI models

M K Nallakaruppan et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-024-56775-y

Shitharth SelvarajanVellore Institute of Technology, India

Total dissolved solids (TDS)Water potabilityExplainable AI (XAI)SHAPRandom ForestLogistic RegressionSupport Vector Machine (SVM)Gaussian Naive BayesDecision treeforce plotsummary plotdependency plotdecision plotfeature importance analysisWater quality parameterscontaminant detection
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#10 of 5,957
6518m citations

Assessing sources of groundwater quality and health risks using graphical, multivariate, and index techniques from a part of Rajasthan, India

Sangeeta Choudhary et al.Groundwater for Sustainable Development202410.1016/j.gsd.2024.101356

N. Subba RaoGeetanjali Institute of Technical Studies, India

groundwater qualityHuman health risk assessmentgraphical techniquesMultivariate statistical analysisIndex-based techniquesRajasthanWater Quality IndexSource apportionmentPollution sourcesHydrogeochemistry
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#11 of 5,957
6518m citations

Unveiling the nutritional value and potentially toxic elements in fish species from Miliç Wetland, Türkiye: A probabilistic human health risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation

Bayram Yüksel et al.Marine Pollution Bulletin202410.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117417

Fikret UstaoğluGiresun University, Turkey

Miliç Wetlandfish speciesNutritional value assessmentpotentially toxic elementsHuman health risk assessmentMonte Carlo simulationProbabilistic risk assessmentHeavy metalsDietary exposurewetland ecosystemfood safetyTrace metalsbioaccumulationconsumption riskWater pollution
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#12 of 5,957
6418m citations

Incorporation of water quality index models with machine learning-based techniques for real-time assessment of aquatic ecosystems

Hyung Il Kim et al.Environmental Pollution202410.1016/j.envpol.2024.124242

Hyung Il Kim, Dongkyun KimDL E&C, South Korea

Water Quality Indexmachine learningreal-time assessmentAquatic ecosystemswater quality modelingpredictive modelingenvironmental monitoringHybrid machine learningWater quality parametersEcological risk assessment
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#13 of 5,957
6218m citations

Toward Decontamination in Coastal Regions: Groundwater Quality, Fluoride, Nitrate, and Human Health Risk Assessments within Multi-Aquifer Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia

Mohamed A. Yassin et al.Water202410.3390/w16101401

Sani I. AbbaKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia

groundwater qualityfluoride contaminationNutrient pollutionAquifersAl-Hassa regionSaltwater intrusionreverse ion exchangeNa-Cl water typeGroundwater Pollution Index (PIG)synthetic pollution indexhealth quotientHazard index (HI)Chronic health risk assessmentfluorosisHydrogeochemistrygeogenic factorsspatial pollution hotspotscoastal groundwater management
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#14 of 5,957
6218m citations

Assessment of drinking water quality and identifying pollution sources in a chromite mining region

Amin Mohammadpour et al.Journal of Hazardous Materials202410.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136050

Amin Mohammadpour, Hasan Hashemi, Soroush AbolfathiJahrom University of Medical Sciences, Iran

chromite miningmachine learningWater Quality IndexRMS-WQIWQM-WQIExtra Trees algorithmPrincipal component analysis (PCA)Hazard quotient (HQ)Hazard index (HI)Monte Carlo simulationCarcinogenic risk assessmentChromiumArseniclithiummagnesiumStrontium (Sr)deterministic health risk assessmentProbabilistic risk assessmentAnthropogenic contaminationgeogenic contamination
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#15 of 5,957
6118m citations

Assessing microbiological and heavy metal pollution in surface waters associated with potential human health risk assessment at fish ingestion exposure

Thomas Dippong et al.Journal of Hazardous Materials202410.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135187

Thomas DippongTechnical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Microbiological contaminationHeavy metalsSurface waterHuman health risk assessmentDietary exposurebioaccumulationWater pollutionmetal bioaccumulation in fishmicrobial water qualityconsumption risk
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#16 of 5,957
6018m citations

New approach into human health risk assessment associated with heavy metals in surface water and groundwater using Monte Carlo Method

Mohamed Hamdy Eid et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-023-50000-y

Mohamed Hamdy EidUniversity of Miskolc, Hungary

Heavy metalsSurface watergroundwaterMonte Carlo simulationnorthwestern desert EgyptSpearman correlation matrixPrincipal component analysis (PCA)cluster analysisHeavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI)Metal Index (MI)Hazard quotient (HQ)Hazard index (HI)Carcinogenic risk assessmentProbabilistic risk assessmentIngestion exposureDermal exposureNon-carcinogenic risk assessmentSiwa OasisCd, Cr, and Pb
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#17 of 5,957
6018m citations

Integrated Geospatial and Geostatistical Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Urban Groundwater Quality Using Water Quality Indices

Iram Naz et al.Water202410.3390/w16172549

Asif SajjadWuhan University, China

Groundwater contaminationLahore aquifersGeographic information systems (GIS)Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)Water Quality IndexAnalytic hierarchy process (AHP)arsenic contaminationTotal dissolved solids (TDS)Hardnessweighted overlay analysisSpatial analysisIndustrial effluentsHeavy metalsremediation scenariosmulti-barrier water treatmentadvanced oxidationGeostatistical analysisGroundwater quality assessmentWater potabilitycontamination hotspot delineation
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#18 of 5,957
6018m citations

Interpretable prediction, classification and regulation of water quality: A case study of Poyang Lake, China

Zhiyuan Yao et al.The Science of The Total Environment202410.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175407

Zhaocai WangShanghai Ocean University, China

Poyang Lakewater quality predictionWater Quality ClassificationWater quality managementExplainable AI (XAI)Lake management strategiesenvironmental monitoringpredictive modelingclassification algorithmsregulatory strategies
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#19 of 5,957
5918m citations

Seasonal Variations and Assessment of Surface Water Quality Using Water Quality Index (WQI) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA): A Case Study

Driss Hammoumi et al.Sustainability202410.3390/su16135644

Hefdhallah S. Al-AizariIbn Tofail University, Morocco

Water Quality IndexPrincipal component analysis (PCA)Seasonal variationsurface water qualityNador CanalHeavy metalsNa-Cl water typeCa2+-Na+-HCO3− water typeDrinking water qualityIrrigation water qualitymagnesiumsodiumcalciumindustrial runoffAgricultural runoffrainfall patternsPollution sourcesNutrient pollutionWater resource management
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#20 of 5,957
5818m citations

Groundwater quality assessment using water quality index and principal component analysis in the Achnera block, Agra district, Uttar Pradesh, Northern India

Shahjad Ali et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-024-56056-8

Ali Akbar Mohammadi, Mehdi FattahiAnand Engineering College, India

Groundwater Quality Index (GWQI)Principal component analysis (PCA)Achnera blockAgra districtMajor ion chemistryTrace metalsPiper diagramSchoellar diagramsodium bicarbonate type waterCa-Cl water typefluoride contaminationGeogenic sourcesalkaline groundwaterHydrochemical faciesWater Quality IndexGeochemical processesDrinking water quality
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Water Quality and Pollution Assessment

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The most prominent topic defining the 2024 cohort is Heavy Metals, highlighting its continued significance as a major pollutant in environmental studies. Following closely are Human Health Risk Assessment and Water Quality Index, indicating that research is highly focused on not only tracking pollution but also directly evaluating its impact on public health. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessments also feature heavily, reflecting a comprehensive approach to understanding both immediate and long-term consequences of water contamination. This clustering of topics suggests that the field is deeply engaged in linking environmental monitoring with actionable health outcomes, driving a more integrated perspective on water safety.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

From the previous cohort, the most striking shift is the surge in advanced risk assessment techniques and statistical modeling. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) saw a remarkable 4.5-fold increase, emphasizing a growing reliance on data-driven methodologies to trace pollution sources. Similarly, Non-carcinogenic and Carcinogenic Risk Assessments grew by over 2.5-fold, underscoring an intensified focus on detailed health-impact evaluations. Meanwhile, foundational topics like Heavy Metals and Water Quality Index remained relatively stable. This pattern suggests that while the core pollutants being studied remain consistent, the analytical tools and health-focused frameworks applied to them have become significantly more sophisticated.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Water Quality and Pollution Assessment Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/water-quality-and-pollution-assessment/2026. Accessed 2026-10-24.

Methodology
Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459