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Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Pollutants: Current and Future Perspectives, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Analytical Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2996

Editors

Dr. Julia Martín

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Guest Editor
Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41011 Seville, Spain
Interests: analytical chemistry; food and environmental chemistry; method development; sample preparation; chromatographic techniques; chemometrics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Esteban Alonso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Química Analítica, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Virgen de África 7, E-41011 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: environmental analytical chemistry; separation methods (GC-MS/MS, LC–MS/MS); sample treatment; priority and emerging pollutants (organic compounds, metals and radioisotopes)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern analytical chemistry has been described as an effort to detect the increasing number of exotic and emerging contaminants present at trace levels. The acquisition of accurate chemical data in food and environmental systems and effective management of pollutants are essential for food quality and safety and for environmental preservation, respectively. This Special Issue aims to cover the most significant developments and innovative uses of analytical methods in the investigation of relevant pollutants. Contributions focusing on the following areas of pollutant analysis are warmly invited:

  • Sampling (passive sampling, improving sample representativeness).
  • Sample preparation (new developments for enhanced solvent extraction, alternative phases for sorptive extraction, new configurations and strategies in microextraction).
  • Analytical instrumentation (hyphenated techniques using mass spectrometry for organic pollutants, atomic spectrometry for trace metals and metalloids, sensors and biosensors in field pollution control).
  • Chemometric tools (quantitative methods and statistical evaluation).

Dr. Julia Martín
Prof. Dr. Esteban Alonso
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • emerging pollutants
  • food samples
  • environmental samples
  • sampling
  • sample preparation
  • analytical instrumentation
  • chemometric tools

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1278 KB  
Article
Portable Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for Rapid Detection of Methanol and Ethanol in Pisco Through Sealed Containers
by Yalan Wu, Beatriz Hatta-Sakoda, Victor Hugo Toledo-Herrera, Claudia Gastelumendi and Luis E. Rodríguez-Saona
Molecules 2026, 31(12), 2120; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122120 - 16 Jun 2026
Viewed by 285
Abstract
In this study, we introduced a portable spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) system that permits rapid, non-destructive acquisition of Raman spectra from bottled Pisco spirits, providing a practical and non-invasive solution for in situ quality control. Pisco, a Peruvian distilled spirit, was selected [...] Read more.
In this study, we introduced a portable spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) system that permits rapid, non-destructive acquisition of Raman spectra from bottled Pisco spirits, providing a practical and non-invasive solution for in situ quality control. Pisco, a Peruvian distilled spirit, was selected as a case study because methanol occurs naturally during fermentation and distillation, and the product is susceptible to adulteration. Methanol and ethanol levels in Pisco were determined using gas chromatography (GC–FID). Methanol levels in 94 authentic Pisco samples ranged from 7.4 to 67 mg/100 mL, remaining below the regulatory limits established for fruit brandies. For pure Pisco samples, the handheld SORS device demonstrated strong predictive performance for determining methanol (SEP = 0.003%, Rpre = 0.92) and ethanol (SEP = 1.25%, Rpre = 0.98) content. To further assess model applicability across a broader methanol concentration range, randomly selected Pisco samples were fortified with methanol (0.11–9.85%), resulting in a prediction model with excellent performance for methanol quantification (SEP = 0.17%; Rpre = 0.995). Overall, the SORS-based approach showed robust analytical capability, underscoring its potential as a non-contact, non-destructive technique for rapid quantification of methanol and ethanol in sealed glass containers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Pollutants: Current and Future Perspectives, 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 1298 KB  
Article
Adsorption Behavior of Chiral Pharmaceuticals onto Montmorillonite Clay: Evaluating Removal Efficiency and Stereoselectivity
by Gül Gülenay Hacıosmanoğlu, Marina Arenas, Carmen Mejías, Julia Martín, Juan Luis Santos, Irene Aparicio and Esteban Alonso
Molecules 2026, 31(12), 2040; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122040 - 11 Jun 2026
Viewed by 214
Abstract
Chiral pharmaceuticals (CPs) have gained growing attention in environmental studies regarding the differential behavior of individual enantiomers in racemic mixtures. This study investigates the stereoselectivity and efficiency of montmorillonite (MMT), a natural and low-cost adsorbent, for the removal of a wide group chiral [...] Read more.
Chiral pharmaceuticals (CPs) have gained growing attention in environmental studies regarding the differential behavior of individual enantiomers in racemic mixtures. This study investigates the stereoselectivity and efficiency of montmorillonite (MMT), a natural and low-cost adsorbent, for the removal of a wide group chiral pharmaceuticals and metabolites (atenolol, propranolol, metoprolol, fluoxetine, venlafaxine, norfluoxetine, and O-desmethylvenlafaxine). The effects of adsorption conditions including initial CP concentration, contact time, adsorbent dose, solution pH, and humic acid content were evaluated. In most adsorption experiments, no significant stereoselective behavior was observed, except for the case where a low adsorbent dose was applied. Interestingly, as the solution humic acid content increased (up to 40 mg/L), the adsorption capacity was increased for most of the target CPs. Isotherm studies revealed that the Freundlich model described the experimental data well and the process was favorable. Adsorption mechanism was interpreted by material characterization before and after adsorption. High removal efficiencies (88.0 to 99.8%) and the non-enantioselective behavior of MMT indicate that it can be used effectively for the simultaneous removal of both enantiomeric forms of various chiral pharmaceuticals from aqueous matrices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Pollutants: Current and Future Perspectives, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 1856 KB  
Article
Application of Eutectic-Solvent-Based Liquid–Liquid Microextraction for Removal of Eight Bisphenols from Water and Industrial Samples
by Michal Adámek, Petr Tůma and Zuzana Bosáková
Molecules 2026, 31(8), 1357; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31081357 - 21 Apr 2026
Viewed by 642
Abstract
In this study, new types of eutectic solvents (ESs) are tested for their ability to remove the eight most common bisphenols (BPA, BPB, BPC, BPE, BPF, BPG, BPS, BPAP), which are environmentally monitored substances, from aqueous matrices. A total of 18 ESs based [...] Read more.
In this study, new types of eutectic solvents (ESs) are tested for their ability to remove the eight most common bisphenols (BPA, BPB, BPC, BPE, BPF, BPG, BPS, BPAP), which are environmentally monitored substances, from aqueous matrices. A total of 18 ESs based on hydrophobic organic acids, such as capric, caprylic, lauric, and myristic acids, and terpenes, such as DL-menthol, terpineol, linalool, and geraniol, are prepared and mixed in various molar ratios. The highest extraction yield for all types of BPs is achieved with a binary mixture of geraniol:caprylic acid prepared in a molar ratio of 1:1. This ES can be used repeatedly for five consecutive cycles achieving almost 100% recovery for BPB, BPC, BPG, and BPAP, while for BPA, BPE, and BPF, the yield drops to 97% and for BPS to 90%. The efficiency of ES extraction is verified using HPLC-MS/MS to determine the BPs in the aqueous phase. This is performed at a pentafluorophenylpropyl stationary phase with LOQs ranging from 0.24 to 29.1 ng/mL. The applicability of this HPLC-MS/MS method was demonstrated by monitoring the occurrence of BPs in thermal paper and other industrial samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Pollutants: Current and Future Perspectives, 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 1031 KB  
Article
Estimation of Beta-Blocker Consumption in the Urban Population Using the Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Approach
by Mihail Simion Beldean-Galea, Mihaela-Cătălina Herghelegiu, Ye Yang, Robert Tötös, Maria Concetta Bruzzoniti, Ioana Elena Beldean-Galea, Sorina Irimie and Anda Curta
Molecules 2026, 31(8), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31081249 - 9 Apr 2026
Viewed by 595
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an approach that uses information obtained from the analysis of various metabolites or residues in wastewater with the aim of assessing the consumption of or exposure to chemicals or pathogens in a population connected to a sewage system. The [...] Read more.
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an approach that uses information obtained from the analysis of various metabolites or residues in wastewater with the aim of assessing the consumption of or exposure to chemicals or pathogens in a population connected to a sewage system. The aim of this work was to develop methods for the isolation and analysis of seven beta-blockers (acebutolol, atenolol, betaxolol, metoprolol, nadolol, pindolol and propranolol) in wastewater samples collected from the influent of the wastewater treatment plant in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in order to estimate their consumption among the population in two time periods (February and October 2024) using WBE. The selected beta-blockers were extracted by solid phase extraction using a Strata C18-U cartridge and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The consumption was estimated using the daily mass load of pharmaceutical products reported per 1000 inhabitants (mg/day/1000inh) and varied in the following ranges: atenolol 0.03–3.74, nadolol 0.03–0.1, propranolol 0.04–0.72, betaxolol 0.07–0.38, and metoprolol 54.85–276.45. From the obtained results, it can be observed that metoprolol is the most used beta-blocker in the investigated population, followed by atenolol, propranolol and betaxolol. Other beta-blockers are consumed in small quantities or occasionally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Pollutants: Current and Future Perspectives, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 1420 KB  
Article
First Evidence of Pharmaceutical Residues in the Cerrón Grande Reservoir, El Salvador
by Irene Romero-Alfano, Violeta Martínez, Nathaly Peña, Kevin Martínez, Carlos Castro, Maryory Velado, Oscar Carpio and Cristian Gómez-Canela
Molecules 2026, 31(3), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31030455 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 865
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive evaluation and environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pharmaceutical residues in the Cerrón Grande Reservoir, one of the most important surface water bodies in El Salvador. Sampling campaigns were conducted over a one-year period, covering both the dry (January [...] Read more.
This study presents a comprehensive evaluation and environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pharmaceutical residues in the Cerrón Grande Reservoir, one of the most important surface water bodies in El Salvador. Sampling campaigns were conducted over a one-year period, covering both the dry (January 2024) and rainy (July 2024) seasons. A total of 76 pharmaceutical compounds were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), of which only five were not detected. During the dry season, the highest environmental concentrations were observed for mecamylamine (1710–6913 µg L−1), 1,7-dimethylxanthine (379–2829 µg L−1), chloroquine (2.29–362.7 µg L−1), and hydroxychloroquine (5.02–315.4 µg L−1). Concentrations generally decreased in the rainy season, with mecamylamine (1526–2198 µg L−1), 1,7-dimethylxanthine (0.018–0.55 µg L−1), and caffeine (0.2–0.474 µg L−1) remaining the most prevalent. Compounds exceeding 1 µg L−1 were assessed using predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC) to calculate risk quotients (RQ). Chloroquine (RQ = 3346.3), mecamylamine (RQ = 1437.8), hydroxychloroquine (RQ = 1027.2), and manidipine (RQ = 271.0) posed the highest risks during the dry season, while only mecamylamine (RQ = 502.0) exceeded this threshold in the rainy season. To our knowledge, this represents the first in-depth study of pharmaceutical residues in Salvadoran surface waters, providing a foundational reference for future research and environmental policy in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Pollutants: Current and Future Perspectives, 2nd Edition)
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