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Pollutants
Special Issues
Marine Pollutants: 3rd Edition
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Marine Pollutants: 3rd Edition

A special issue of Pollutants (ISSN 2673-4672).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 8830

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesco Saliu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, 120126 Milan, Italy
Interests: marine pollution; food chemistry; food contaminants; environmental analyses; analytical methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Paolo Galli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan–Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 20126 Milan, Italy
Interests: marine ecology; parasite ecology; polypropylenes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled “marine pollutants”, aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive view of hazardous substances, materials, and processes that can pose a risk to marine ecosystems and negatively affect the health and economy of communities living in coastal areas (i.e., fishing and tourism industry). All types of marine pollution will be considered: from planetary-scale issues, such as ocean acidification, warming, and eutrophication, to local-scale concerns, such as oil spills, chemical and biological contamination, and underwater noise. Submissions addressing plastic and microplastic in the marine environment are also welcome. The topics covered will span all aspects of marine pollution, including the occurrence, fate, and bio-ecological effects of marine pollutants; impacts on fishing and aquaculture; analytical methods and monitoring techniques; mitigation and remediation strategies; green technologies and the blue economy; and laws and policies. The target audience includes the entire scientific community, industry professionals, conservation groups, concerned citizens, and policymakers devoted to implementing effective pollution control strategies. We encourage you to submit your original research papers, short communications of preliminary results, review articles, or commentaries to this Special Issue to stimulate discussion and advance the field.

Dr. Francesco Saliu
Prof. Dr. Paolo Galli
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. Pollutants is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1200 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

  • marine pollution
  • marine debris
  • organic pollutants
  • microplastic
  • ocean warming
  • ocean acidification
  • biological contamination

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (4 papers)

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12 pages, 12531 KB  
Article
Marine Organisms Fouling on Ghost Nets in the Sounio Marine Protected Area (Greece)
by Nikolaos Simantiris, Nikos Karatzas, Dimitra Papadoiliopoulou and Martha Z. Vardaki
Pollutants 2026, 6(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants6010012 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1426
Abstract
Ghost nets are the result of fishing nets ending up at sea by fishing vessels during operations, repairs, accidental loss, and from aquaculture activities. This is a major threat to the marine environment due to the entrapment of marine species, which often leads [...] Read more.
Ghost nets are the result of fishing nets ending up at sea by fishing vessels during operations, repairs, accidental loss, and from aquaculture activities. This is a major threat to the marine environment due to the entrapment of marine species, which often leads to the mortality of important species, the alteration of the marine benthic habitat, and the release of microplastics. In the current study, the authors conducted underwater clean-up activities in the marine protected area of Sounio in Greece (NATURA2000) to identify, evaluate whether they can be removed, and remove ghost nets. A total of 1200 Kg of ghost nets was removed within one year, with 68 different species reported to have colonized the nets. The reported groups were Mollusca, Porifera, Chordata, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Bryozoa, Ochrophyta, Tracheophyta, Rhodophyta, Cnidaria, Chlorophyta, and Annelida. The species were not listed as threatened by the IUCN conservation status, while 86% were native, and 14% were invasive in the Mediterranean Sea. The current work presents the need to expand research efforts in the field of underwater plastic pollution, implement monitoring campaigns to a greater extent in the study area, and perform an assessment before the removal of ghost nets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollutants: 3rd Edition)
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23 pages, 7093 KB  
Article
Harmful Algal Blooms as Emerging Marine Pollutants: A Review of Monitoring, Risk Assessment, and Management with a Mexican Case Study
by Seyyed Roohollah Masoomi, Mohammadamin Ganji, Andres Annuk, Mohammad Eftekhari, Aamir Mahmood, Mohammad Gheibi and Reza Moezzi
Pollutants 2026, 6(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants6010004 - 4 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1921
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) represent an escalating threat in marine and coastal ecosystems, posing increasing risks to ecological balance, public health, and blue economy industries including fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. This review examines the impact of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on the [...] Read more.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) represent an escalating threat in marine and coastal ecosystems, posing increasing risks to ecological balance, public health, and blue economy industries including fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. This review examines the impact of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on the escalation of HAB occurrences, focusing especially on vulnerable regions in Mexico, which are the primary case study for this investigation. The methodological framework integrates HAB risk assessment (RA) methods found in the literature. Progress in detection and monitoring technologies—such as sensing, in situ sensor networks, and prediction tools based on machine learning—are reviewed for their roles in enhancing early-warning systems and aiding decision support. The key findings emphasize four linked aspects: (i) patterns of HAB risk in coastal zones, (ii) deficiencies and prospects in HAB-related policy development, (iii) how governance structures facilitate or hinder effective actions, and (iv) the growing usefulness of online monitoring and evaluation tools for real-time environmental observation. The results emphasize the need for coupled technological and governance solutions to reduce HAB impacts, protect marine biodiversity, and enhance the resilience of coastal communities confronting increasingly frequent and severe bloom events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollutants: 3rd Edition)
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22 pages, 1289 KB  
Article
Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination and Human Health Risk in Parapenaeus longirostris from Coastal Tunisian Aquatic Ecosystems
by Walid Ben Ameur, Ali Annabi, Kaddachi Rania and Mauro Marini
Pollutants 2025, 5(3), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants5030023 - 1 Aug 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4222
Abstract
Seafood contamination by heavy metals is a growing public health concern, particularly in regions like Tunisia where seafood is a major dietary component. This study assessed concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the muscle tissue of the [...] Read more.
Seafood contamination by heavy metals is a growing public health concern, particularly in regions like Tunisia where seafood is a major dietary component. This study assessed concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the muscle tissue of the red shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris, collected in 2023 from four coastal regions: Bizerte, Monastir, Kerkennah, and Gabes. Metal analysis was conducted using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. This species was chosen due to its ecological and economic importance. The study sites were chosen based on their differing levels of industrial, urban, and agricultural influence, providing a representative overview of regional contamination patterns. Mean concentrations were 1.04 µg/g for Zn, 0.59 µg/g for Cu, 1.56 µg/g for Pb, and 0.21 µg/g for Cd (dry weight). Pb was the most prevalent metal across sites. Statistically significant variation was observed only for Cu (p = 0.0334). All metal concentrations were below international safety limits set by FAO/WHO and the European Union. Compared to similar studies, the levels reported were similar or slightly lower. Human health risk was evaluated using target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and cancer risk (CR) values. For adults, THQ ranged from 5.44 × 10−6 to 8.43 × 10−4, while for children it ranged from 2.40 × 10−5 to 3.72 × 10−3. HI values were also well below 1, indicating negligible non-carcinogenic risk. CR values for Cd and Pb in both adults and children fell within the acceptable risk range (10−6 to <10−4), suggesting no significant carcinogenic concern. This study provides the first field-based dataset on metal contamination in P. longirostris from Tunisia, contributing valuable insights for seafood safety monitoring and public health protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollutants: 3rd Edition)
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20 pages, 4937 KB  
Systematic Review
From Source to Sea: The Role of River Basins in Marine Pollution Under Development and Climate Change Variability in SADC
by Alfredo Pedro Mabica, Sérgio Mateus Chilaule and Isidro José Tamele
Pollutants 2026, 6(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants6020028 - 27 May 2026
Viewed by 369
Abstract
This article presents a systematic review of land-based marine pollution in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), focusing on the river–sea interface. Using the PRISMA protocol, 30 articles published between 2015 and 2025 were selected. Key pollutants identified include microplastics, nutrients, heavy metals, [...] Read more.
This article presents a systematic review of land-based marine pollution in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), focusing on the river–sea interface. Using the PRISMA protocol, 30 articles published between 2015 and 2025 were selected. Key pollutants identified include microplastics, nutrients, heavy metals, and urban effluents, which travel through river basins and impact coastal ecosystems and communities. The region faces serious challenges due to limited wastewater treatment coverage, with many urban areas lacking adequate infrastructure or using outdated technologies. This leads to widespread discharge of untreated effluents into rivers. Fragmented governance, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient implementation of regional treaties further hinder pollution control. Climate change exacerbates these pressures by increasing hydrological extremes and the vulnerability of sanitation systems. Despite existing legal instruments, cooperation on monitoring and wastewater management remains limited. The integration of basin and coastal planning, improved governance, and transboundary collaboration are essential to reduce pollution and promote ecological and social resilience in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollutants: 3rd Edition)
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