Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
2.3
Journals
Atmosphere
Special Issues
Anthropogenic Pollutants in Environmental Geochemistry (2nd Edition)
share announcement

Anthropogenic Pollutants in Environmental Geochemistry (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 623

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jun Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: source apportionment; persistent organic pollutants; road dust; sediment; atmospheric transport
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhixiong Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: natural organic matter; nanoparticles; environmental process; remediation; emerging pollutant
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the second volume in a series of publications dedicated to “Anthropogenic Pollutants in Environmental Geochemistry” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/pollutants_geochemistry).

This Special Issue of Atmosphere is concerned with anthropogenic pollutants (APs). APs, including synthetic organic materials and toxic elements, are known to adversely affect human health because of their persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic characteristics. Once released from mid- and low-latitude anthropogenic sources, three major groups of APs (persistent organic pollutants, microplastics, and heavy metals) can be atmospherically transported thousands of kilometers away and spread to every corner of the Earth. Geochemical surveys show that bedrock geochemistry controls not only the content of heavy metals but also the composition of soil and even that of water and vegetation, which affect the global cycles of APs. These APs are therefore found to be geographically distributed, and their fate depends on geochemical conditions. There is also increasing recognition that changes in the geochemistry of the Earth’s surface as a result of human activity have an impact on AP emissions and sink. In the context of these concerns, there is a serious lack of monitoring and information on the environmental occurrences and geochemical behaviors of APs and little information on associated exposure and the effects of that exposure on people and ecosystems.

The main goal of this Special Issue is to provide informative data to reveal the linkage between the environmental geochemistry of the Earth’s surface and the occurrences and fates of APs. Studies related to environmental quality assessment, source appointment, and the transformation pathway of APs as well as to their atmospheric transport/deposition process and historic reconstruction are welcome. Contributions from monitoring programs, field experiments, and associated laboratory/modeling studies are all welcome as well.

Dr. Jun Li
Dr. Zhixiong Li
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. Atmosphere 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 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

  • atmospheric deposition
  • historic record
  • long-term monitoring
  • geochemical conditions
  • soil properties
  • source appointment
  • persistent organic pollutants
  • microplastics
  • heavy metals

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 (2 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

12 pages, 2395 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Air Pollution in Beijing and Seoul: Long-Term Trends and Seasonal Variations
by Hana Na and Woo-Sik Jung
Atmosphere 2025, 16(7), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16070753 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 195
Abstract
This study compares long-term air pollution trends and seasonal patterns in Beijing and Seoul from 2014 to 2024, focusing on PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, and O3. Using statistical analyses including Mann–Kendall tests and generalized additive models, [...] Read more.
This study compares long-term air pollution trends and seasonal patterns in Beijing and Seoul from 2014 to 2024, focusing on PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, and O3. Using statistical analyses including Mann–Kendall tests and generalized additive models, we found that Beijing achieved notable reductions in particulate matter, largely due to stricter industrial controls and reduced coal use, though winter pollution peaks remain. In contrast, Seoul’s improvements were slower, mainly due to persistent vehicular emissions and recurring spring dust storms from northern China. Seasonal analysis showed winter peaks in Beijing linked to coal heating, and spring peaks in Seoul driven by transboundary dust, with higher summer ozone in Seoul reflecting photochemical activity. These findings highlight the need for city-specific air quality management and regional cooperation, recommending further reductions in vehicular emissions for Seoul and continued transition from coal in Beijing to mitigate health impacts. This study identifies specific seasonal trends and pollution sources that require targeted policy interventions to improve air quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anthropogenic Pollutants in Environmental Geochemistry (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 4168 KiB  
Article
Assessment of CH4 and CO2 Emissions from a Municipal Waste Landfill: Trends, Dispersion, and Environmental Implications
by Georgeta Olguta Gavrila, Gabriela Geanina Vasile, Simona Mariana Calinescu, Cristian Constantin, Gheorghita Tanase, Alexandru Cirstea, Valentin Stancu, Valeriu Danciulescu and Cristina Orbeci
Atmosphere 2025, 16(7), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16070752 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 213
Abstract
The European Union views biogas production from landfills as a crucial element in achieving decarbonization goals by 2050. Biogas is primarily composed of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), produced through the anaerobic digestion of various residual materials. This [...] Read more.
The European Union views biogas production from landfills as a crucial element in achieving decarbonization goals by 2050. Biogas is primarily composed of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), produced through the anaerobic digestion of various residual materials. This study aimed to investigate CH4 and CO2 concentrations from municipal solid waste in biogas capture wells in a landfill in Romania between 2023 and 2024. A peak in CH4 concentrations occurred in the fall of 2024 (P4 well), while the highest CO2 content was recorded in the summer of 2023 (P3 well). The Aermod View software platform (version 11.2.0) was employed to model the dispersion of pollutants in the surrounding air. A worst-case scenario was applied to estimate the highest ground-level pollutant concentrations. The highest recorded CH4 concentration was 90.1 mg/m3, while CO2 reached 249 mg/m3 within the landfill. The highest CH4 concentrations were found in the southern part of the site, less than 1 km from the landfill, while CO2 was highest in the northern area. In conclusion, municipal solid waste landfills behave like unpredictable bioreactors, and without proper management and oversight, they can pose significant risks. An integrated system that combines prevention, reuse, and correct disposal is critical to minimizing these negative effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anthropogenic Pollutants in Environmental Geochemistry (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop