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Emerging Pollutants, Atmospheric Processes, Urban Heat Islands and Integrated Environmental Observations: Advances in Remote Sensing and Analytical Techniques

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Air, Climate Change and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 231

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
2. REXDAN Research Infrastructure, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
Interests: remote sensing; environment engineering; earth sciences; environmental sciences; meteorology; atmospheric sciences; environmental health; GIS; ecology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
2. REXDAN Research Infrastructure, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
Interests: atmospheric pollution; remote sensing; space observations

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
2. REXDAN Research Infrastructure, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
Interests: surface water pollution; ground water pollution; wastewater treatment; environmental pollution; soil pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid pace of urbanization, industrial activity, and climate change has led to growing concerns over the presence and impacts of emerging pollutants in both atmospheric and aquatic environments. These pollutants, often unregulated or insufficiently monitored, pose significant risks to human health and ecosystems.

This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research that integrates remote sensing, advanced laboratory techniques, and multidisciplinary analytical approaches to investigate emerging pollutants, atmospheric dynamics, and urban heat islands. We encourage submissions that address novel methods of detecting and quantifying pollutants using high-end techniques, such as gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, ICP-MS, TXRF, and micro-FTIR, as well as remote sensing technologies including DOAS, ACTRIS-based observations, and aerial or satellite-based monitoring. Contributions related to urban climate analysis, land surveys, bathymetry, and data integration from multiple environmental compartments are also highly welcome.

This Special Issue aligns with the scope of Sustainability by promoting a holistic understanding of environmental challenges and providing innovative solutions that support the Sustainable Development Goals.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Remote sensing applications in air and water quality monitoring;
  • Detection and quantification of emerging pollutants;
  • Integration of laboratory-based and/or remote-sensing data;
  • Urban heat islands and urban climate studies;
  • Use of ACTRIS and other advanced infrastructures for environmental research;
  • Bathymetry, land surveys, and integrated water-atmosphere-land studies;
  • Multidisciplinary and multi-compartment environmental assessments;
  • Data fusion, modeling, and decision-support tools for environmental management.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Adrian Rosu
Dr. Daniel-Eduard Constantin
Dr. Mihaela Timofti
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 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. 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.

Keywords

  • emerging pollutants
  • atmospheric dynamics
  • urban heat islands
  • remote sensing
  • DOAS
  • ACTRIS
  • advance laboratory techniques
  • environmental monitoring
  • integrated observations
  • sustainable development

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 37351 KB  
Article
Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Land Surface Temperature, Vegetation Cover, and Built-Up Areas Using LST, NDVI, and NDBI in Balıkesir, Türkiye (1985–2025)
by Figen Altıner and Faruk Bingöl
Sustainability 2025, 17(20), 9245; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209245 (registering DOI) - 17 Oct 2025
Viewed by 137
Abstract
This study offers a four-decade evaluation of land surface temperature (LST) dynamics in relation to urban growth in Balıkesir, Turkey, between 1985 and 2025. Using multi-temporal Landsat imagery (30 m), LST, NDVI, and NDBI maps were generated and assessed through Pearson and partial [...] Read more.
This study offers a four-decade evaluation of land surface temperature (LST) dynamics in relation to urban growth in Balıkesir, Turkey, between 1985 and 2025. Using multi-temporal Landsat imagery (30 m), LST, NDVI, and NDBI maps were generated and assessed through Pearson and partial correlation analyses. MODIS and Sentinel-3 datasets (1 km) were additionally employed to enable comparative analysis. Results reveal robust and statistically significant correlations: urban expansion amplified LST, while vegetation provided consistent cooling effects. Unlike MODIS and Sentinel-3, Landsat data accurately captured localized hot and cool spots, highlighting the importance of spatial resolution in urban climate studies. Temporal patterns reveal a post-2005 decline in NDVI under increasing urban pressures and a subsequent deceleration of built-up expansion after 2015. Mean LST increased from 41 °C in 1985 to 52 °C in 2025, with the hottest temperature class covering over half of the study area. These findings not only confirm the intensification of urban-induced warming, but also contribute a novel methodological framework that integrates multi-sensor, multi-scale datasets into long-term analyses. The study extends the literature by linking remote sensing outcomes directly to urban resilience strategies, emphasizing the role of blue–green infrastructure and climate-sensitive planning in mitigating future thermal risks. Full article
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