Polluted Environments: Effects of Chemicals and Mixtures on Fish Physiology and Biochemistry
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 12 June 2026 | Viewed by 1482
Special Issue Editors
Interests: ecotoxicology; emerging contaminants; environmental impacts; human and ecosystem health; zebrafish
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The quality and scarcity of water resources are major global concerns, as aquatic ecosystems are increasingly compromised by mixtures of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, micro- and nanoplastics, and other emerging contaminants. Climate change and extreme events further intensify these pressures, affecting water quality and ecosystem resilience. Fish are widely recognized as bioindicators of the ecosystems’ ecological status, as they show physiological, biochemical, and behavioral responses that link environmental health to human well-being.
This Special Issue aims to highlight innovative research on emerging pollutants and their mixtures that affect fish biology across multiple levels of biological organization, from molecular and cellular mechanisms to behavioral and population-level outcomes. Particular emphasis will be placed on studies that integrate ecotoxicology, physiology, and environmental risk assessment to better understand the combined impacts of contaminants and global change.
By highlighting fish as sentinel species in their interactions with contaminants and changing environments, this Special Issue aligns closely with the journal’s scope on animal biology, welfare, and their broader ecological context. Contributions will provide novel insights into the physiological, biochemical, and behavioral responses of fish, combining fundamental research, applied perspectives, and regulatory frameworks, and promoting sustainable strategies for aquatic ecosystem protection.
For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Ecotoxicological approaches integrating environmental risk assessment and One Health perspectives;
- Physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of fish to single contaminants and mixtures;
- Behavioral assays and biomarkers linking contaminant exposure to ecological outcomes;
- Gene expression studies and novel molecular tools for ecotoxicology;
- Impacts of climate change and extreme events on contaminant dynamics and fish responses;
- Methodological advances in experimental designs, assays, and modeling for aquatic toxicology;
- Physiological, biochemical, and behavioral effects of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, plastics, and other emerging pollutants on fish health and welfare;
- Environmental monitoring of aquatic ecosystems and integration of scientific evidence into regulatory and policy frameworks.
We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.
Dr. Ines Lacchetti
Dr. Arnold Rakaj
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
- fish
- aquatic animals
- environmental risk
- ecotoxicology
- physiological responses
- climate change
- chemical contamination
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
