Contaminants in Irrigation Water Impacting the Safety of Fresh Produce

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute your research to a Special Issue of Sustainability on the topic of "Contaminants in Irrigation Water Impacting the Safety of Fresh Produce." This Issue aims to explore the complex relationship between contaminants in agricultural waters and their impact on fresh produce safety.

The quality of agricultural water significantly affects the safety and quality of fresh produce as it may contain various contaminants, including microbial, physical, and chemical agents. The FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule addresses the potential hazards associated with the production and distribution of fruits and vegetables, and it looks to outline in the near future specific requirements for agricultural water linked to preharvest activities. Currently, the Produce Safety Rule indicates that all agriculture water in pre- and postharvest environments must be safe and of adequate sanitary quality for its intendent use. Understanding the sources, prevalence, and fate of contaminants in irrigation waters is essential for devising effective mitigation strategies and reducing foodborne outbreaks linked to irrigation water.  

This Special Issue seeks to focus on the mitigation of microbial and chemical risks in agricultural water by exploring novel technologies, management practices, and policy frameworks. We encourage the submission of original research articles or reviews that contribute to our understanding of contaminants in agricultural water and their impacts on fresh produce safety.

Your expertise and research are crucial in generating collective knowledge that informs policymakers, researchers, and growers and educators in improving water quality, meeting regulatory requirements, and safeguarding public health. By promoting sustainable agricultural water management practices, we can enhance the safety and resilience of our food systems while preserving natural resources.

Dr. Achyut Adhikari
Dr. Eduardo Gutiérrez-Rodríguez
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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.