Emerging Chemical and Microbial Threats in Aquatic Systems: From Microplastics to Antimicrobial Resistance

Dear Colleagues,

Aquatic environments are increasingly challenged by a wide range of emerging contaminants that exert complex interactions at chemical, biological, and ecological levels. Of these, microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as bisphenols, have gained global attention due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and far-reaching effects on aquatic ecosystems. Once introduced into aquatic systems, these contaminants can act not only as pollutants themselves but also as catalysts of microbial transformation, influencing nutrient cycles, microbial diversity, and the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes.

Microplastics, in particular, can serve as novel ecological niches and vectors for microorganisms, forming biofilm communities known as the “plastisphere”. Within these microhabitats, bacteria may acquire and exchange resistance genes, altering both the structure and function of microbial communities. Likewise, EDCs can modulate microbial activity, oxidative stress responses, and gene expression, with potential repercussions for aquatic organisms and ecosystem stability. Together, these processes highlight the intricate chemical–microbial interplay that shapes the modern aquatic resistome and influences ecosystem resilience.

This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and perspectives addressing the interactions between emerging chemical pollutants, microbial communities, and antimicrobial resistance in aquatic systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. The environmental behavior, fate, and transformation of microplastics and EDCs;
2. Their effects on aquatic microbiota, resistomes, and biofilm formation;
3. Metagenomic, transcriptomic, or proteomic insights into pollutant–microbe interactions;
4. Mechanistic studies linking pollutant exposure to microbial adaptation or horizontal gene transfer;
5. Risk assessment and innovative mitigation strategies.

By bridging environmental chemistry, microbiology, and ecotoxicology, this Special Issue aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of how emerging pollutants reshape aquatic ecosystems and pose risks to environmental and public health.

Dr. Paulina Cholewińska
Dr. Konrad Wojnarowski
Prof. Dr. Naresh Singhal
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-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.

• microplastics
• endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
• antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• aquatic microbiome
• plastisphere
• environmental pollutants
• microbial ecology
• horizontal gene transfer