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Environments
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Occurrence, Fate, and Environmental Risk Assessment of Organic Pollutants in...
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Occurrence, Fate, and Environmental Risk Assessment of Organic Pollutants in Water

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2025 | Viewed by 690

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Florentina Laura Chiriac

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Water, Soil and Waste Pollution Control Laboratory, National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology—ECOIND, 51-73 Drumul Podu Dambovitei Street, Sector 6, 060652 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: endocrine disruptors; organic contaminants; LC-MS/MS analysis; surface water; wastewater; biodegradation; environmental risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Stefania Gheorghe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Water, Soil and Waste Pollution Control Laboratory, National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology—ECOIND, 51-73 Drumul Podu Dambovitei Street, Sector 6, 060652 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: organic contaminants; ecotoxicology; environmental risk assessment; biochemical and histological assessments; bioaccumulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The occurrence of organic pollutants in water has become a significant concern worldwide, with numerous studies highlighting the presence of these pollutants in various water sources, including surface and groundwater, wastewater, and even drinking water. These pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, can pose environmental risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Despite their widespread occurrence, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of the fate and transport of these pollutants in water environments. This knowledge gap hinders the development of effective strategies for mitigating their environmental risks and protecting human health. To address this knowledge gap, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, fate, and environmental risk assessment of organic pollutants in water. The Issue will feature original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that examine the sources, transportation, and transformation of these pollutants in various water environments. The contributions will also discuss the implications of these pollutants on aquatic ecosystems and human health, as well as the effectiveness of existing treatment technologies and mitigation strategies.

By enriching the website with this Special Issue, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding organic pollutants in water and the need for continued research and innovation in this area. The Issue will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to develop effective solutions for managing these pollutants and protecting the environment.

Dr. Florentina Laura Chiriac
Dr. Stefania Gheorghe
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. 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

  • organic pollutants
  • water pollution
  • environmental risk assessment
  • fate and transport
  • aquatic toxicity
  • remediation and mitigation

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2359 KiB  
Article
Study of Inhibitory Effects on Aerobic Biomass: Interaction Between Per-/Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Traditional Toxic Compounds
by Maria Cristina Collivignarelli, Stefano Bellazzi, Laura Maria Rita Calabria, Marco Baldi and Alessandro Abbà
Environments 2025, 12(5), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12050139 - 25 Apr 2025
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Abstract
This work aims to investigate the inhibitory effects of PFAS on activated sludge biomass and compare them to the impact of conventional toxic substances that may be found in wastewater, such as phenol, trichlorophenol, and copper sulphate. Respirometric assays, i.e., batch and continuous [...] Read more.
This work aims to investigate the inhibitory effects of PFAS on activated sludge biomass and compare them to the impact of conventional toxic substances that may be found in wastewater, such as phenol, trichlorophenol, and copper sulphate. Respirometric assays, i.e., batch and continuous oxygen uptake (OUR) tests, were used to evaluate the response of aerobic biomass to various aqueous wastes containing PFAS and traditional inhibitory compounds. The study is divided into many phases, assessing the inhibitory effects of tested pollutants over different time scales: short-term exposure (10 min contact time in batch tests) and medium-term exposure (several hours in continuous tests). The results highlight that while PFAS did not cause acute or medium-term chronic toxicity on biomass (OUR values between 6 and 8 mgDO (gSSV·h)−1), copper sulphate (at a concentration of 166.7 mg L−1) involved irreversible inhibition beyond critical exposure time. Furthermore, the biodegradability of the studied substrates was impacted by the interaction between PFAS and conventional toxic substances, with certain mixtures showing the capacity to lessen inhibitory effects (OUR values between 5 and 20 mgDO (gSSV·h)−1). This study provides new knowledge on the potential inhibitory mechanisms of PFAS and underlines the importance of considering the combined effects of these pollutants with other contaminants. The findings support the development of more effective treatment approaches for PFAS-contaminated wastewater and help in improving the operational strategies of wastewater treatment plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occurrence, Fate, and Environmental Risk Assessment of Organic Pollutants in Water)
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16 pages, 1307 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Per- and/or Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Reclaimed Water in Three Arizona Communities
by Kalealani M. Gurfield, Madeline G. Molzahn, Jack Welchert, Vasiliki Karanikola and Jani C. Ingram
Environments 2025, 12(4), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12040108 - 2 Apr 2025
Viewed by 390
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of manufactured organic chemicals that are widely employed for their heat-, oil-, and water-resistant properties. Studies have shown that the bioaccumulation of PFASs in living organisms and their related health effects are sufficient for classifying [...] Read more.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of manufactured organic chemicals that are widely employed for their heat-, oil-, and water-resistant properties. Studies have shown that the bioaccumulation of PFASs in living organisms and their related health effects are sufficient for classifying them as a group of toxicants worthy of great concern and further study. While PFASs travel through the air and soil, their contamination of water pathways proves to be the most common route for exposure. We analyzed PFASs from three different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) throughout Arizona to show that, despite treatment efforts, they persist as contaminants in water sources. Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method 1633, seasonally obtained field samples were prepared for analysis through liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 24 samples were taken at different stages of the treatment process to assess the proficiency of the removal processes during remediation. Duplicate samples were each taken from Tucson’s WWTP and Flagstaff’s WWTP before and after chlorination, and from three sites in Yuma County, upstream effluent, downstream effluent, and WWTP, before chlorination. From the samples obtained in Yuma, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid were detected but at levels below their limits of quantification. PFBS was detected at the Yuma and Tucson WWTP at levels up to 4.52 ng/L and 73.53 ng/L, respectively. The samples obtained from Flagstaff’s WWTP were below the instrument level of detection and, therefore, characterized as non-detects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occurrence, Fate, and Environmental Risk Assessment of Organic Pollutants in Water)
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