Abstract

Based on the literature data from CNKI and Web of Science (WOS) databases from 2004 to 2024, this study conducts a systematic bibliometric analysis of the field of leather manufacturing pollution control using CiteSpace information visualisation tools. By constructing a knowledge map, the research compares and reveals the development trajectories and hotspots in domestic and international studies on leather manufacturing pollution control across dimensions such as annual publication volume, core authors, research institutions, keyword co-occurrence, and clustering. The findings indicate that domestic research focuses on “leather wastewater,” concentrating on chromium-containing wastewater treatment processes (such as hydrolytic acidification and micro-electrolysis) and improving biodegradability. In contrast, international research emphasises “removal” technologies, excelling in fundamental studies on adsorption, electrocoagulation, and applications in circular economy. The distribution of research efforts shows that institutions such as Shaanxi University of Science and Technology and Sichuan University domestically, along with India’s CSIR system internationally, dominate the field; however, inter-institutional collaboration remains insufficient. To advance the field of leather manufacturing pollution control, it is necessary to strengthen interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cooperation based on current research to provide theoretical and practical support for the global green transformation of the leather industry.