Toxicological Impacts of Emerging Contaminants on Aquatic Organisms
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Toxicology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 405
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Emerging contaminants—including microplastics, engineered nanoparticles, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, PFAS, and industrial chemicals—are increasingly detected in freshwater and marine environments. These pollutants pose complex risks to aquatic organisms, with growing evidence of their roles in inducing oxidative stress, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and reproductive impairments. Despite extensive environmental monitoring, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these toxic effects remain underexplored. Understanding how these stressors interact with biological systems is critical for assessing ecological risks and guiding environmental policy.
This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and reviews that explore the toxicological impacts of emerging contaminants on aquatic organisms at molecular, cellular, biochemical, physiological, and behavioral levels. We welcome submissions focused on biomarker development, mechanistic toxicology, bioremediation strategies, climate change–pollutant interactions, and omics-based approaches (e.g., transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics). Studies utilizing model or non-model aquatic species, including fish and invertebrates, are encouraged. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary work that advances our understanding of pollutant-induced health effects and supports the development of mitigation and regulatory strategies.
Dr. Mohamed Hamed
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 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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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
- aquatic toxicology
- emerging contaminants
- physiology and behavior
- oxidative stress
- antioxidant biomarkers
- immunotoxicity
- neuroendocrine toxicity
- bioremediation
- molecular mechanisms
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.
