Integrative Stress Physiology and Toxicological Responses of Aquatic Organisms to Emerging Contaminants
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2026 | Viewed by 152
Special Issue Editors
Interests: emerging contaminants; stress physiology; reproductive toxicology; gene editing; fish
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
With the escalating prevalence and persistent bioaccumulation of defined emerging contaminants (ECs) in global aquatic ecosystems—including micro/nanoplastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), novel synthetic pesticides, endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), industrial nanomaterials, antibiotics, and heavy metal complexes—understanding their multi-level adverse impacts has become an urgent and indispensable research priority. These pervasive anthropogenic pollutants elicit cascading toxic effects across biological scales: from dysregulated molecular pathways, oxidative stress and genotoxic cellular damage, to overt organismal stress responses that directly impair growth, alter critical behaviors, and compromise core aquatic animal welfare. Cumulative EC exposure further drives population-level risks in aquatic taxa spanning fish, invertebrates, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates. Critically, ECs biomagnify through aquatic food webs, posing latent but profound threats to human health via dietary consumption. The issue emphasizes integrative approaches that bridge molecular toxicology, stress physiology, and environmental ecology, exploring cross-talk between stress signaling cascades, adaptive mechanisms, and ecotoxicological outcomes. Contributions may include original research, reviews, and method papers addressing EC-induced toxicity mechanisms, species-specific sensitivities, and potential mitigation strategies. By synthesizing interdisciplinary insights, this Special Issue aims to advance scientific understanding of EC-associated ecological and public health risks and inform evidence-based policies for aquatic ecosystem protection and environmental management.
Dr. Mingzhe Yuan
Dr. Shan Chen
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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
- emerging contaminants
- aquatic organisms
- integrative stress physiology
- toxicological responses
- growth impairment
- behavioral disruption
- aquatic animal welfare
- molecular ecotoxicology
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