Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.5
2.5
Journals
Applied Sciences
Special Issues
Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment: Occurrence,...
applsci-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Applied Sciences Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment: Occurrence, Detection, Removal and Toxicity

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 2653

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anna Ofrydopoulou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hephaestus Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Kavala University Campus, 65404 Kavala, Greece
Interests: anti-inflammatory effects; antithrombotic activity; antiplatelet activity; bioactives; bioanalytical chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alexandros Tsoupras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hephaestus Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Kavala University Campus, 65404 Kavala, Greece
Interests: inflammation; thrombosis; chronic disorders; anti-inflammatory bioactives; antioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The term “contaminants of emerging concern” definitely incorporates categories of a sheer number of compounds, such as the overwhelming group of pharmaceutical and personal care products, drugs of abuse, perfluorinated compounds, organophosphate flame retardants, etc., all of which are consumed exponentially throughout the years and many of them have been monitored as a complex multiphase mixture in aquatic environments worldwide. The fact that many contaminants are not removed completely in wastewater treatment plants and are introduced in receiving water is a remaining global challenge. After their release to the environment, their concentrations do not remain unaffected; thus, the effluent wastewater is considered their major contributor in aquatic compartments which can engender possible detrimental effects to non-target organisms.

This Special Issue aims to promote research in six major areas based on the above. Emphasis will be given to research with the most up-to dated sample pretreatment techniques. Special attention will be given to studies with state-of-the-art validated multi-residue methods. The third objective concerns the suspect and non-target screening through high-resolution mass spectrometry. Determining the target compounds, their transformation products, and their removal efficiency will further enhance the general picture. Finally, studies with toxicity assessment via in silico, in vitro, and in vivo bioassays are also welcome.

All contributions to this Special Issue will improve our knowledge in these fields.

Dr. Anna Ofrydopoulou
Dr. Alexandros Tsoupras
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. Applied Sciences 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

  • contaminants of emerging concern
  • high-resolution mass spectrometry
  • toxicity assessment
  • removal
  • non-target screening
  • occurrence
  • sample pretreatment

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.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

22 pages, 1835 KB  
Article
Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Photo-Fenton-Based Photocatalytic Techniques for the Degradation of Nile Blue Dye
by Georgia Papadopoulou, Eleni Evgenidou and Dimitra Lambropoulou
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(14), 7917; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15147917 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 386
Abstract
In this study, the degradation of Nile Blue dye was investigated using homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalytic methods based on the photo-Fenton reaction. More specifically, for homogeneous photocatalysis, the classical photo-Fenton (UV/Fe2+/H2O2) and modified photo-Fenton-like (UV/Fe2+/S [...] Read more.
In this study, the degradation of Nile Blue dye was investigated using homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalytic methods based on the photo-Fenton reaction. More specifically, for homogeneous photocatalysis, the classical photo-Fenton (UV/Fe2+/H2O2) and modified photo-Fenton-like (UV/Fe2+/S2O82−) systems were studied, while for heterogeneous photocatalysis, a commercial MOF catalyst, Basolite F300, and a natural ferrous mineral, geothite, were employed. Various parameters—including the concentrations of the oxidant and catalyst, UV radiation, and pH—were investigated to determine their influence on the reaction rate. In homogeneous systems, an increase in iron concentration led to an enhanced degradation rate of the target compound. Similarly, increasing the oxidant concentration accelerated the reaction rate up to an optimal level, beyond which radical scavenging effects were observed, reducing the overall efficiency. In contrast, heterogeneous systems exhibited negligible degradation in the absence of an oxidant; however, the addition of oxidants significantly improved the process efficiency. Among the tested processes, homogeneous techniques demonstrated a superior efficiency, with the conventional photo-Fenton process achieving complete mineralization within three hours. Kinetic analysis revealed pseudo-first-order behavior, with rate constants ranging from 0.012 to 0.688 min−1 and correlation coefficients (R2) consistently above 0.90, confirming the reliability of the applied model under various experimental conditions. Nevertheless, heterogeneous techniques, despite their lower degradation rates, also achieved high removal efficiencies while offering the advantage of operating at a neutral pH without the need for acidification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment: Occurrence, Detection, Removal and Toxicity)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 911 KB  
Article
An Efficient LC–HRMS-Based Approach to Evaluate Pesticide Contamination in Water Bodies with Measurement Uncertainty Considerations
by Christina Nannou, Dimitrios Gkountouras, Vasiliki Boti and Triantafyllos Albanis
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10329; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210329 - 10 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1264
Abstract
Over recent decades, the global occurrence of pesticide residues in aquatic environments has been a pivotal issue; however, their trace-level concentrations necessitate the establishment of ultra-sensitive and reliable analytical approaches. To this end, the present study describes the optimization and validation of an [...] Read more.
Over recent decades, the global occurrence of pesticide residues in aquatic environments has been a pivotal issue; however, their trace-level concentrations necessitate the establishment of ultra-sensitive and reliable analytical approaches. To this end, the present study describes the optimization and validation of an LC-HRMS-based method for the accurate determination of 18 pesticides in river and sea water, accompanied by a measurement uncertainty estimation. This method was applied to analyze 17 real samples from agriculture and aquaculture-impacted areas in Greece and Albania. Different solid-phase extraction (SPE) protocols were tested. For the analysis, cutting-edge Orbitrap MS technology and MS/MS fragmentation, along with the use of matrix-matched calibration curves, provided unprecedented accuracy (<5 ppm) and sensitivity for the confirmation of positive detections. Regarding method performance, exceptional linearity was obtained; the limits of quantification ranged from 1.7 ng L−1 to 90 ng L−1, recoveries varied from 61% to 96% in river water, while slightly higher recoveries (60–111%) were observed in seawater. In all cases, repeatability and intra-laboratory reproducibility were below 15%. The measurement expanded uncertainty (U′, k = 2) was estimated considering precision and bias. MU% values were lower than 50% in all cases, as recommended in SANTE guidelines and applied to the quantified results. The matrix effect study exhibited negative values (<20%) for all compounds. Application to real samples showed a low pesticide contamination load that should not be underestimated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment: Occurrence, Detection, Removal and Toxicity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

33 pages, 1931 KB  
Review
The Quality of Greek Islands’ Seawaters: A Scoping Review
by Ioannis Mozakis, Panagiotis Kalaitzoglou, Emmanouela Skoulikari, Theodoros Tsigkas, Anna Ofrydopoulou, Efstratios Davakis and Alexandros Tsoupras
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(16), 9215; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15169215 - 21 Aug 2025
Viewed by 415
Abstract
Background: Greek islands face mounting pressures on their marine water resources due to tourism growth, agricultural runoff, climate change, and emerging pollutants. Safeguarding seawater quality is critical for ecosystem integrity, public health, and the sustainability of tourism-based economies. Objectives: This scoping review synthesizes [...] Read more.
Background: Greek islands face mounting pressures on their marine water resources due to tourism growth, agricultural runoff, climate change, and emerging pollutants. Safeguarding seawater quality is critical for ecosystem integrity, public health, and the sustainability of tourism-based economies. Objectives: This scoping review synthesizes and evaluates the existing research on seawater quality in the Greek islands, with emphasis on pollution sources, monitoring methodologies, and socio-environmental impacts, while highlighting the gaps in addressing emerging contaminants and aligning with sustainable development goals. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Web of Science, and PubMed for English- and Greek-language studies published over the last two to three decades. The search terms covered physical, chemical, and biological aspects of seawater quality, as well as emerging pollutants. The PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed, resulting in the inclusion of 178 studies. The data were categorized by pollutant type, location, water quality indicators, monitoring methods, and environmental, health, and tourism implications. Results: This review identifies agricultural runoff, untreated wastewater, maritime traffic emissions, and microplastics as key pollution sources. Emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, PFASs, and nanomaterials have been insufficiently studied. While monitoring technologies such as remote sensing, fuzzy logic, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are increasingly applied, these efforts remain fragmented and geographically uneven. Notable gaps exist in the quantification of socio-economic impact, source apportionment, and epidemiological assessments. Conclusions: The current monitoring and management strategies in the Greek islands have produced high bathing water quality in many areas, as reflected in the Blue Flag program, yet they do not fully address the spatial, temporal, and technological challenges posed by climate change and emerging pollutants. Achieving long-term sustainability requires integrated, region-specific water governance linked to the UN SDGs, with stronger emphasis on preventive measures, advanced monitoring, and cross-sector collaboration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment: Occurrence, Detection, Removal and Toxicity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop