Based on the Web of Science (WoS) core collection and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, 2485 English publications and 232 Chinese publications in the research field of interactions between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and heavy metals from 2004 to 2024 were screened. Using bibliometric methods combined with visualization tools including VOSviewer and CiteSpace, this study quantitatively analyzes the publication trends, scientific collaboration networks, research hotspots, and evolutionary characteristics of research frontiers in this domain.The results indicate that the global annual publication output in this field shows a continuous growth trend from 2004 to 2024. China occupies a dominant position with a share of 49.54%, and an international scientific research collaboration network centered on China has been formed. The core research issues in this field focus on the complexation-adsorption mechanisms of heavy metals driven by DOM functional groups, as well as the regulatory patterns of DOM fractions, environmental factors and microbial activities on the migration, transformation and bioavailability of heavy metals. Cutting-edge technologies represented by high-resolution mass spectrometry and in-situ spectroscopic characterization have become the main development direction for the elucidation of microscopic mechanisms in this field. By constructing a bibliometric analysis framework supported by multi-source database collaboration, this study clarifies the development stages of the field and the disparities between Chinese and international research, and accurately identifies the current bottleneck issues. The findings can provide data support and theoretical guidance for the transformation of the heavy metal pollution governance technical system from end-of-pipe control to the technical paradigm of “source regulation-process interception-resource recovery”, and also offer a reference for the future layout of research in this field.