Environmental Contaminants: Impacts on Reproduction and Embryonic Development
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Reproductive and Developmental Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editor
Interests: in vivo and in vitro assay; toxicology; nanotoxicology; Danio rerio; embryonic development; biomarkers; cytotoxicity; gametes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to lead a Special Issue for the journal Life dedicated to the effect of environmental chemicals on embryonic development and reproduction. Global pollution has led to the accumulation of many environmental contaminants, such as metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), chemical compounds, and pharmaceuticals. In particular, drug residues have caused growing concerns due to their harmful effects on living organisms. Commonly used pharmaceutical products, such as antibiotics, analgesics, antihistamines, and antidepressants, are frequently detected in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems due to their incomplete removal in wastewater treatment processes. Therefore, the abuse of pharmaceutical products will lead to an increase in their concentrations in the environment and inevitably to their bioaccumulation in organisms, with consequences for human health. These compounds, even at very low concentrations, can interfere with critical biological processes, negatively affecting embryonic development as well as reproductive capacity. Embryonic development is one of the most sensitive windows to environmental chemicals and can also lead to long-lasting health effects.
In this Special Issue, I encourage the submission of any original articles and reviews with a focus on the effects of pharmaceutical products present in the environment, with particular attention to their mechanisms of action and consequences for embryonic development, without excluding reproductive health, and for male and female gametes. New investigations are needed to improve the knowledge on the effects of pharmaceutical products on embryonic malformations, altered reproductive behavior, and reduced fertility.
Dr. Elena Maria Scalisi
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- environmental contaminants
- embryonic development
- fertility
- toxicity
- chemicals
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