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Toxics
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Environmental Behaviors and Risk Assessment Methods of Metal Pollutants
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Environmental Behaviors and Risk Assessment Methods of Metal Pollutants

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Emerging Contaminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 2628

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Li Mu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agro-Environmental Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin 300191, China
Interests: heavy metals; micro- and nano-particles; accurate identification and risk assessment; intelligent monitoring; multi-omics; machine learning
Prof. Dr. Wenjie Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: soil organic carbon stability; nitorgen deposition; global change; greenhouse gases; nutrients cycles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metal pollutants mainly include heavy metals of environmental pollution type, nanoscale metals and their compounds widely used as agricultural pesticides and fungicides, metal organic framework materials and other new metal pollutants, which are continuously released into the ecological environment through natural and man-made ways and means, causing damage to the ecological environment, and further threatening human health along the food chain. Therefore, it is very important to explore the environmental distribution, migration behavior and induced environmental health risks of metal pollutants for the protection of ecological environment security and human health. Therefore, our Special Issue focuses on the research of environmental behavior and risk assessment of metal pollutants, realizes the innovation of risk assessment methods based on large data fusion multiple risk assessment models and advanced artificial intelligence means, and provides theoretical support and technical support for the scientific understanding and assessment of their risks. This Special Issue will collect the latest results and insights from experts and researchers in the field, with a view to promoting a deeper understanding of this important topic and contributing to the protection of the environment and human health.

Prof. Dr. Li Mu
Prof. Dr. Wenjie Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • heavy metals
  • nanometal
  • novel metal–organic framework material
  • environmental behavior
  • risk assessment
  • intelligent monitoring
  • multi-omics
  • machine learning

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 4901 KiB  
Article
The Combined Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics and Arsenate on Lettuce Under Hydroponic Conditions
by Li Mu, Ziwei Gao, Mengyuan Wang, Xin Tang and Xiangang Hu
Toxics 2025, 13(2), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13020086 - 24 Jan 2025
Viewed by 463
Abstract
The combined pollution of microplastics (MPs) and arsenic (As) has gradually been recognized as a global environmental problem, which calls for detailed investigation of the synergistic toxic effects of MPs and As on plants and their mechanisms. Therefore, the interaction between polystyrene microplastics [...] Read more.
The combined pollution of microplastics (MPs) and arsenic (As) has gradually been recognized as a global environmental problem, which calls for detailed investigation of the synergistic toxic effects of MPs and As on plants and their mechanisms. Therefore, the interaction between polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and arsenate (AsO43−) (in the following text, it is abbreviated as As(V)) and its toxic effects on lettuce were investigated in this study. Firstly, chemisorption was identified as the main mechanism between PS-MPs and As(V) by the analysis of adsorption kinetics, adsorption thermodynamics, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). At the same time, the addition of As(V) promoted the penetration of PS-MPs through the continuous endodermal region of the Casparis strip. Furthermore, compared with the CK group, it was found that the co-addition of As(V) exacerbated the lowering effect of PS-MPs on the pH value of the rhizosphere environment and the inhibitory effect on root growth. In the P20V10 group, the pH decreased by 33.0%. Compared to the CK group, P20, P20V1, and P20V10 decreased the chlorophyll content by 68.45% (16 SPAD units), 71.37% (17.73 SPAD units), and 61.74% (15.36 SPAD units) and the root length by 19.31% (4.18 cm), 50.72% (10.98 cm), and 47.90% (10.37 cm) in lettuce. P5V10 and P20V10 increased CAT content by 153.54% (33.22 U·(mgprol)−1) and 182.68% ((38.2 U·(mgprol)−1)), Ca by 31.27% and 37.68%, and Zn by 41.85% and 41.85%, but the presence of As(V) reduced Na by 22.85% (P5V1) and 49.95% (P5V10). The co-exposure significantly affected the physiological and biochemical indicators as well as the nutritional quality of the lettuce. Finally, the metabolomic analysis of the lettuce leaves showed that combined pollution with PS-MPs and As(V) affected the metabolic pathways of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), sulfur metabolism, and pyruvate metabolism. This study provides data for pollution management measures for co-exposure to PS-MPs and As(V). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behaviors and Risk Assessment Methods of Metal Pollutants)
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15 pages, 3028 KiB  
Article
Effects of Illegal Solid Waste Dumping on the Structure of Soil Bacterial Communities: A Case Study in China
by Jialiang Chen, Lulu Zhang, Lang Song, Mai Ye, Lin Wang, Bin Fan, Bin Li, Zetao Yang, Rongzhou Jin and Pu Jia
Toxics 2025, 13(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13010020 - 27 Dec 2024
Viewed by 745
Abstract
Illegal solid waste dumping is a significant factor contributing to environmental damage. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used for the identification and assessment of environmental damage in an illegal dumping area in China, with the aim of confirming environmental [...] Read more.
Illegal solid waste dumping is a significant factor contributing to environmental damage. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used for the identification and assessment of environmental damage in an illegal dumping area in China, with the aim of confirming environmental damage through analyzing changes in the soil bacterial communities across slag, sewage sludge, and non-contaminated areas. The results indicate that the diversity of soil bacteria decreases with an increase in the degree of pollution. The illegal dumping of slag resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of Firmicutes and a decrease in the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota. Additionally, illegal dumping of sewage sludge resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and a decrease in the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota. The contents of Ni and Be in slag and Cu, Pb, and Cd in sewage sludge were key factors affecting bacterial community composition. The results reveal the effects of heavy metal pollution on the soil bacterial community structure and its environmental driving factors, thus expanding understanding in the context of management of the environmental damage caused by illegal dumping, as well as providing a perspective on the changes in the soil bacterial community, allowing for environmental damage confirmation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behaviors and Risk Assessment Methods of Metal Pollutants)
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15 pages, 1780 KiB  
Article
Effect of S-Allyl-L-Cysteine on Nitric Oxide and Cadmium Processes in Rice (Oryza sativa L. sp. Zhongzao35) Seedlings
by Xingyu Huo, Changrong Wang, Yongchun Huang, Weiyong Kong and Xiaoli Wang
Toxics 2024, 12(11), 805; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12110805 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 741
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule involved in regulating plant processes to cope with abiotic stress. S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC) is known to induce NO synthesis in animals. However, it is unknown whether SAC can trigger NO biosynthesis, regulate Cd transport, or alleviate [...] Read more.
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule involved in regulating plant processes to cope with abiotic stress. S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC) is known to induce NO synthesis in animals. However, it is unknown whether SAC can trigger NO biosynthesis, regulate Cd transport, or alleviate Cd stress in plants. After being sprayed with 0.2 mM SAC, rice seedlings had a NO content that was 1.8 times higher than that of the control (ctrl) group at the ninth hour, which then gradually decreased. The expressions of Cd uptake and transport genes in the roots (including OsNRAMP5, OsNRAMP1, and OsHMA2) were markedly downregulated by 27.2%, 24.8%, and 49.1%, respectively, 72 h after SAC spraying treatment. The Cd content in seedling roots’ cell wall (CW) components significantly increased by 43.5% compared to that of the ctrl group. The Cd content in the shoots and roots decreased by 49.0% and 29.8%, respectively. Cd stress in the seedlings was also substantially alleviated. In conclusion, spraying rice seedlings with SAC triggered an increase in NO synthesis, regulated the expression of genes related to Cd transport, increased Cd fixation in the root CW components, and reduced Cd accumulation in the roots and shoots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behaviors and Risk Assessment Methods of Metal Pollutants)
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