Environmental Exposures and Animal Welfare

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental exposures represent a fundamental but still insufficiently integrated dimension of animal welfare science. Across domestic, wild and production species, animals are continuously shaped by a broad array of environmental factors that interact to influence physiology, behavior, health, and overall welfare. Climatic conditions, including extreme temperatures, heatwaves, cold stress, humidity, seasonal variation, latitude‑dependent photoperiod, and the accelerating effects of climate change, can disrupt homeostasis, impair immune function, and increase vulnerability to disease. These pressures may reduce productivity in food‑producing animals, disrupt reproductive success, and alter welfare indicators in wildlife, among other impacts.

Chemical and physical pollutants further compound these challenges. Exposure to heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics, endocrine‑disrupting chemicals, noise, and light pollution can induce metabolic, reproductive, developmental, and behavioral alterations across taxa. In addition, anthropogenic disturbances, such as transportation, overcrowding, habitat fragmentation, urban expansion, and tourism pressure, can generate acute or chronic stress responses, particularly in wild species or animals managed in intensive systems.

Given the complexity and diversity of these environmental influences, a comprehensive understanding of how exposures influence animal welfare is essential for developing evidence‑based mitigation strategies. This Special Issue invites interdisciplinary contributions addressing the mechanisms, effects, and management of environmental exposures affecting animal welfare across species and ecosystems. We welcome original research, reviews, case studies, and methodological advances that integrate environmental science, veterinary medicine, ecology, toxicology, physiology, and animal behavior. By bringing together diverse perspectives, this collection aims to advance a holistic framework for safeguarding animal welfare in a changing world.

Prof. Dr. Ana María Molina
Dr. Elena Baralla
Dr. Valeria Pasciu
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Environments 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 1800 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.

• environmental exposures
• animal welfare
• climate change
• extreme temperatures
• environmental stressors
• habitat degradation
• environmental pollutants
• One Health