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Toxics
Special Issues
Environmental Pollution and Food Safety
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Environmental Pollution and Food Safety

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024 | Viewed by 7904

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nicoletta Guerrieri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Water Research Institute-National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), Largo Tonolli 50, I-28922 Verbania Pallanza, Italy
Interests: metals and foods; food quality and environment; As and Hg pollution; climate changes and food safety; biomarkers; carotenoids and photosynthetic pigments; environmental biochemistry; proteomic; phytoremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gigliola Borgonovo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
Interests: organic chemistry; phytoextraction; metal pollution; food plants; food quality and environment; doses of active ingredients in complex matrices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollution and climate change can modify food quality; generally, it has a negative impact, and can have a risk to human health. Metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, nickel, and copper can be present at various levels in the environment (soil, water, and atmosphere), and the source can be natural or anthropogenic. People can be exposed to contaminants from the environment or by ingestion of contaminated foods or water, and their accumulation in the body can lead to harmful effects over time. The phytoextraction of contaminants is a useful technic to reduce metal contamination in polluted soil or waters, but a better understanding of the process, and the plant adaptation to climate change, can improve the knowledge of these practices. In addition, also food plants can apply phytoextraction; it’s a defense route for plants to minimize the toxic effects of the contaminants, and usually, they are accumulated in the roots, leaves, fruits, and seeds. Soil, water, and food control of crops are necessary to maintain high food quality and high food safety.

For this Special Issue, in the Ecotoxicology Section, we invite high-quality original research papers, short communications, and reviews on Ecotoxicology and Food Toxicology. Areas of interest may include (but are not limited to) food safety; metals, and emergent contaminants phytoextraction; crops metal accumulation; innovative methods monitoring environmental pollution and food safety; climate change and food quality; metals contaminants, and environmental distribution.

Dr. Nicoletta Guerrieri
Dr. Gigliola Borgonovo
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

  • metals and foods
  • food quality and environment
  • food safety
  • climate changes
  • phytoextraction
  • water pollution
  • agricultural pollution
  • foods and emerging contaminants

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 5070 KiB  
Article
Heavy Metal Accumulation in Oysters from an Aquaculture Area in the Luoyangjiang River Estuary
by Yizhou Ke, Changchun Ou, Xiaoyu Guo, Shuyi Liu, Chenlu Yao, Bo Shi and Huayong Que
Toxics 2024, 12(9), 645; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12090645 - 31 Aug 2024
Viewed by 943
Abstract
Oysters are a group of economically important bivalves in China, with estuaries serving as one of their primary cultivation areas. However, heavy metal pollution in these estuarine environments poses a potential threat to aquaculture by leading to the accumulation of heavy metals in [...] Read more.
Oysters are a group of economically important bivalves in China, with estuaries serving as one of their primary cultivation areas. However, heavy metal pollution in these estuarine environments poses a potential threat to aquaculture by leading to the accumulation of heavy metals in farmed oysters, which could impact their safety and marketability. This study was conducted in the aquaculture area of the Luoyangjiang River estuary, where eight sampling sites were selected. Water, sediment, and oysters categorized by shell length were collected from each site. The concentrations of heavy metals (Ag, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined in both the environmental samples and oyster tissues. Additionally, multiplex species-specific PCR was used to identify oyster species. The results showed significant variations in dissolved-phase and suspended particulate matter (SPM) metal concentrations across different sampling sites, while sediment metal concentrations were more consistent but similar to those in SPM. The large oysters were comprised of 50% Magallana angulata and 50% Magallana gigas, while small oysters were identified as Magallana sikamea. The Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn levels in both size groups of oysters exceeded data from previous studies, indicating contamination in the estuary. The observed differences in heavy metal concentrations between large and small oysters primarily reflect species-specific variability in metal accumulation, which may also be influenced by factors such as growth and exposure duration. Furthermore, the lack of significant correlation between metal concentrations in environmental media and oysters suggests that oysters may be exposed to multiple sources of metal contamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollution and Food Safety)
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12 pages, 805 KiB  
Article
Regional Variations in Pesticide Residue Detection Rates and Concentrations in Saudi Arabian Crops
by Majed S. Alokail, Sherif H. Abd-Alrahman, Abdullah M. Alnaami, Syed D. Hussain, Osama E. Amer, Manal E. A. Elhalwagy and Nasser M. Al-Daghri
Toxics 2023, 11(9), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11090798 - 21 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1790
Abstract
There is a scarcity of evidence on the levels of pesticide residues among common crops grown in the different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The present study aims to fill this gap. We collected samples across four regions of KSA [...] Read more.
There is a scarcity of evidence on the levels of pesticide residues among common crops grown in the different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The present study aims to fill this gap. We collected samples across four regions of KSA (N = 41 from the west, N = 146 from the central, N = 131 from the north and N = 74 samples from the east). Food samples were extracted and cleaned using the modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) methodology. Tandem mass (LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) was used to detect pesticide residues. The highest pesticide residue detection rate was 89.7% in the central region, followed by 88.5% in the north, 83.8% in the east and 70.7% in the western region (p = 0.01). Pesticide residue detection rates were significantly higher in fruits than vegetables (p = 0.02). Cypermethrin detection was most common overall, particularly in the Western region (p = 0.002), and pyraclostrobin concentration was the highest among all residues investigated. In conclusion, high detection rates of moderately hazardous pesticide residues were found in various crops across regions in KSA. Routine biomonitoring programs across KSA regions should be implemented, as well as public health campaigns to decrease pesticide residue consumption and exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollution and Food Safety)
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Review

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21 pages, 732 KiB  
Review
Microplastics as a Threat to Aquatic Ecosystems and Human Health
by Agata Witczak, Laura Przedpełska, Kamila Pokorska-Niewiada and Jacek Cybulski
Toxics 2024, 12(8), 571; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12080571 - 5 Aug 2024
Viewed by 2495
Abstract
The threat posed by microplastics has become one of the world’s most serious problems. Recent reports indicate that the presence of microplastics has been documented not only in coastal areas and beaches, but also in water reservoirs, from which they enter the bodies [...] Read more.
The threat posed by microplastics has become one of the world’s most serious problems. Recent reports indicate that the presence of microplastics has been documented not only in coastal areas and beaches, but also in water reservoirs, from which they enter the bodies of aquatic animals and humans. Microplastics can also bioaccumulate contaminants that lead to serious damage to aquatic ecosystems. The lack of comprehensive data makes it challenging to ascertain the potential consequences of acute and chronic exposure, particularly for future generations. It is crucial to acknowledge that there is still a substantial need for rapid and effective techniques to identify microplastic particles for precise evaluation. Additionally, implementing legal regulations, limiting plastic production, and developing biodegradation methods are promising solutions, the implementation of which could limit the spread of toxic microplastics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollution and Food Safety)
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Other

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11 pages, 1303 KiB  
Perspective
Food Plants and Environmental Contamination: An Update
by Nicoletta Guerrieri, Stefania Mazzini and Gigliola Borgonovo
Toxics 2024, 12(5), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12050365 - 15 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1970
Abstract
Food plants are the basis of human nutrition, but, in contaminated places, they can uptake contaminants. Environmental contamination and climate change can modify food quality; generally, they have a negative impact on and imply risks to human health. Heavy metals, like lead, arsenic, [...] Read more.
Food plants are the basis of human nutrition, but, in contaminated places, they can uptake contaminants. Environmental contamination and climate change can modify food quality; generally, they have a negative impact on and imply risks to human health. Heavy metals, like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, can be present at various environmental levels (soil, water, and atmosphere), and they are widely distributed in the world. Food plants can carry out heavy metal bioaccumulation, a defense pathway for plants, which is different for every plant species. Accumulation is frequent in the roots and the leaves, and heavy metals can be present in fruits and seeds; As and Cd are always present. In addition, other contaminants can bioaccumulate in food plants, including emerging contaminants, like persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, and microplastics. In food plants, these are present in the roots but also in the leaves and fruits, depending on their chemical structure. The literature published in recent years was examined to understand the distribution of contaminants among food plants. In the literature, old agronomical practices and new integrated technology to clean the water, control the soil, and monitor the crops have been proposed to mitigate contamination and produce high food quality and high food safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollution and Food Safety)
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