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Environments
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Environmental Risk Assessment of Aquatic Environments, 2nd Edition
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Environmental Risk Assessment of Aquatic Environments, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Pollution, Toxicology and Restoration".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2026 | Viewed by 5708

Editor

Prof. Dr. Chien-Sen Liao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Science & Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan
Interests: environmental microbiology; environmental toxicology; bioremediation; proteomics; microalgae application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I extend a sincere invitation to you to contribute to our Special Issue, entitled “Environmental Risk Assessment of Aquatic Environments, 2nd Edition”. The sustainability and ecological balance of aquatic environments are facing increasing threats. This Special Issue aims to explore and evaluate the potential risks posed by multidrug-resistant organisms, emerging contaminants, environmental hormones, heavy metals, antibiotics, biotoxins, etc., to aquatic ecosystems.

In recent years, factors such as multidrug-resistant organisms, emerging contaminants, and environmental hormones have become pivotal issues in aquatic environments, posing potential hazards to aquatic organisms. Substances like heavy metals, antibiotics, and biotoxins also impact aquatic ecosystems to varying degrees. Therefore, through this Special Issue, we aim to delve into these potential hazards, conducting risk assessments to ensure the health and sustainable development of aquatic environments.

This Special Issue covers various aspects, including microbial ecology, detection, and management of emerging contaminants, impact of environmental hormones, monitoring of heavy metal pollution, risks associated with antibiotic resistance, ecological effects of biotoxins, etc. We invite you to submit your latest research in these areas, collectively advancing our understanding of the risks in aquatic environments.

The scope of this Special Issue is not limited to natural water bodies but also extends to aquaculture systems, exploring the ecology of microorganisms, algae, and their applications in aquaculture. Additionally, this Special Issue emphasizes the feasibility of bioremediation technologies in aquatic environments, involving the application of microorganisms, microalgae, and other biological agents.

We look forward to receiving your valuable submissions, contributing to the ongoing development of the field of environmental risk assessment in aquatic environments. If you are interested in submitting your research findings, please do so before the deadline, and thank you for supporting this Special Issue.

The papers published in the first edition of this Special Issue, which may be of interest to you, can be found at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/environments/special_issues/2L72532I29.

Prof. Dr. Chien-Sen Liao
Guest Editor

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.

Keywords

  • multidrug-resistant organisms
  • emerging contaminants
  • environmental hormones
  • antibiotic
  • biotoxins
  • desalination and wastewater treatment
  • aquatic organisms
  • aquaculture
  • bioremediation
  • microalgae
  • microbial ecology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1705 KB  
Article
Microbiological Quality of Purified Water from Vending Machines: Occurrence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Biofilm Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
by Ricardo Jiovanni Soria-Herrera, Luis F. Muñoz-Mateo, Margarita Hernández-Mixteco, Moisés León-Juárez, Addy Cecilia Helguera-Repetto, Laura Gabriela Flores-Aviña, Virginia A. Robinson-Fuentes, Erika Beatriz Angeles-Morales, Graciela Castro-Escarpulli, Carlos Cortes-Penagos and Jorge Francisco Cerna-Cortés
Environments 2026, 13(4), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040207 - 8 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1667
Abstract
Purified water from vending machines offers consumers an alternative source of clean, safe water. However, data regarding its microbiological quality are limited, particularly concerning the prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring virulence traits. This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of 125 purified [...] Read more.
Purified water from vending machines offers consumers an alternative source of clean, safe water. However, data regarding its microbiological quality are limited, particularly concerning the prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring virulence traits. This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of 125 purified water samples collected from vending machines across six cities of Michoacan, Mexico. Additionally, it sought to assess the occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and characterize its antimicrobial resistance profiles and biofilm-forming capacity. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB) were detected in all analyzed samples. A total of 71 (56.8%), 40 (32.0%), and 31 (24.8%) samples were positive for total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC), and Escherichia coli, respectively. Among the samples, 43 (34.4%) were positive for P. aeruginosa. There were significant correlations between the presence of P. aeruginosa and AMB (rho = 0.4445; p < 0.0001), TC (rho = 0.4094; p < 0.0001), FC (rho = 0.3389; p = 0.0001), and E. coli (rho = 0.3242; p = 0.0002). Moreover, the presence of TC in purified water samples increased the risk of P. aeruginosa nearly seven-fold (odds ratio = 6.91; p < 0.001). The resistance rate among P. aeruginosa strains to the most tested antibiotics ranged from 2.3 to 16.3%, and two (4.6%) of the isolates were multidrug-resistant. All P. aeruginosa strains were strong biofilm producers. Consequently, we recommend periodic maintenance of vending machines, the establishment of P. aeruginosa control protocols, and enhanced regulatory monitoring of the water vending industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment of Aquatic Environments, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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30 pages, 2993 KB  
Review
Eco-Sustainability in Aquaculture: Questions and Perspectives
by Antonio Calisi, Davide Gualandris, Elisa Gamalero, Francesco Dondero, Teodoro Semeraro and Tiziano Verri
Environments 2026, 13(4), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040208 - 9 Apr 2026
Viewed by 2493
Abstract
Aquaculture marks the transition from the simple activity of harvesting aquatic animal resources, carried out through the catching practices of fishing, to the farming of aquatic organisms in fresh, brackish and sea waters, carried out through human intervention aimed at increasing production. To [...] Read more.
Aquaculture marks the transition from the simple activity of harvesting aquatic animal resources, carried out through the catching practices of fishing, to the farming of aquatic organisms in fresh, brackish and sea waters, carried out through human intervention aimed at increasing production. To date, research is proceeding towards expanding the range of species that can be farmed, improving the number and quality of products, and reducing the environmental impact of aquaculture activities; these efforts are supported by the improvement of our knowledge of the biology of the relevant species, the significant updating/upgrading of the rearing technologies, and the increasing awareness of the importance of water quality in optimising farming conditions. While necessarily dependent on market demand, aquaculture needs to fully leverage its environmental potential; and the relationship between aquaculture and the environment requires a system of production that combines eco-compatibility and eco-sustainability. Here, we report and analyse insights and perspectives in eco-sustainable aquaculture, spanning from sustainability and innovation processes in aquaculture to antibiotic control and aquaculture ecosystem services, in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment of Aquatic Environments, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 1069 KB  
Review
Seabed and Beach Sediments as Dynamic Genetic Interfaces
by Antonia Mataragka
Environments 2026, 13(3), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13030129 - 25 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 945
Abstract
Coastal marine sediments and beach sands receive microbial and genetic inputs from wastewater discharge, urban runoff, aquaculture, wildlife, and recreational activity, yet their role as coupled microbial–genetic interfaces linking environmental processes and human exposure remains incompletely synthesized. This review integrates quantitative evidence from [...] Read more.
Coastal marine sediments and beach sands receive microbial and genetic inputs from wastewater discharge, urban runoff, aquaculture, wildlife, and recreational activity, yet their role as coupled microbial–genetic interfaces linking environmental processes and human exposure remains incompletely synthesized. This review integrates quantitative evidence from culture-based studies, qPCR surveys, metagenomic analyses, and multi-year monitoring investigations focused on coastal sediments and sands. Reported antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) concentrations in coastal sediments reach 2.2 × 109 copies g−1 (wet weight) for sul1 in wastewater-impacted systems, with total ARG abundances commonly ranging from 1.59 × 107 to 2.88 × 108 copies g−1 in effluent-receiving zones and tetM reported at 1.43 × 107 copies g−1. Beach sands contain measurable resistance markers, including intI1 at 9–3823 copies g−1 and blaTEM up to 14 copies g−1 in wet sand. Viable fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens have been cultured directly from sands, including Staphylococcus aureus at 0–8710 CFU g−1 and methicillin-resistant S. aureus at 0–605 CFU g−1. Collectively, the evidence indicates that coastal sediments and sands function as structured microbial and genetic reservoirs requiring integrated assessment of benthic retention, hydrodynamic redistribution, and exposure-relevant interpretation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment of Aquatic Environments, 2nd Edition)
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