Micropollutants/Emerging Contaminants in Aquatic Environments: Occurrence, Environmental Fates, and Effects on Aquatic Organisms

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue addresses the exposure assessment, mechanistic elucidation, and environmental fate of trace pollutants and emerging contaminants (e.g., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, microplastics, pesticides, chlorinated paraffins) in aquatic organisms. While the scope of this issue encompasses impacts on both marine and freshwater systems, it specifically focuses on the effects of these pollutants on aquatic organisms, such as fishes, water flea, algae, mollusks, and shellfish.

Micropollutants/emerging contaminants, including environmentally persistent pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and surfactants, are increasingly detected in aquatic environments. Despite their presence at trace levels, these pollutants can accumulate over time, disrupting aquatic ecosystems and inducing toxic effects in various organisms. For instance, pollutants from disposable plastic products (e.g., bags, cups, straws) not only impact habitat quality but also directly harm aquatic biota. Furthermore, biodegradable microplastics, which are initially introduced as eco-friendly alternatives, have raised new concerns due to their potential to produce unique or even heightened toxic effects compared to conventional plastics. These challenges underscore the complexity and urgency of assessing the risks posed by emerging contaminants in aquatic systems.

This Special Issue is dedicated to presenting significant findings in the chemical characterization, environmental behavior, and biological exposure of micropollutants/emerging contaminants in aquatic systems, with a particular emphasis on aquatic organisms, as well as their risk assessments, mechanistic insights, and mitigation strategies. We also emphasize that experimental studies based on overly elevated or unrealistic concentrations, especially at the laboratory scale, should be avoided. Instead, submissions focusing on environmentally relevant concentrations and their realistic implications are highly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Fayuan Wang
Dr. Joorim Na
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.

• emerging contaminants
• micropollutants
• aquatic organisms
• ecotoxicity
• microplastics
• pesticide
• environmental fate
• ecological effect