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Toxics
Special Issues
Environmental Behavior and Migration Mechanism of Microplastics
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Environmental Behavior and Migration Mechanism of Microplastics

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 2923

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jiji Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
Interests: persistent organic pollutants; marine pollution; micro- and nano-plastics toxicity and behavior; POPs transport by food chain; marine microalgae and mussels; heavy metals; nano materials toxicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fabiana Corami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Polar Sciences, CNR-ISP, Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venezia, Mestre, Italy
Interests: microplastics; trace elements in sediments; water and biota; bioaccumulation; geospeciation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental safety assessment is a critical field in toxicology, aiming to evaluate the potential risks of chemical substances to ecosystems and human health. With the rapid development of new chemicals, nanomaterials, and emerging pollutants, traditional toxicological methodologies are often insufficient for addressing the complexity and diversity of environmental hazards. Therefore, the development and application of emerging methodologies in toxicology are essential to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and comprehensiveness of environmental safety assessments.

This Special Issue invites the submission of original research and review articles that focus on innovative and emerging methodologies in toxicology for environmental safety assessment. We aim to provide a platform for researchers to share cutting-edge approaches, technologies, and insights that contribute to a deeper understanding of the environmental impacts of chemical substances and pollutants. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. The development and application of advanced in vitro and in silico models for toxicological assessment;
  2. The integration of omics technologies (e.g., genomics, proteomics, metabolomics) in environmental toxicology;
  3. Emerging techniques for the detection and quantification of environmental pollutants;
  4. Novel approaches for assessing the ecotoxicological effects of chemical mixtures and emerging contaminants;
  5. The application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in toxicological risk assessment;
  6. Methodologies for evaluating the environmental fate and behavior of nanomaterials and microplastics;
  7. Innovative strategies for assessing the long-term and cumulative effects of pollutants on ecosystems and human health;
  8. Case studies and applications of emerging methodologies in real-world environmental safety assessments.

We welcome contributions from researchers across disciplines, including toxicology, environmental science, chemistry, biology, and engineering, to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and advance the field of environmental safety assessment.

Dr. Jiji Li
Dr. Fabiana Corami
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. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • environmental toxicology
  • emerging methodologies
  • risk assessment
  • omics technologies
  • chemical mixtures
  • nanomaterials
  • in silico models

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 1245 KB  
Article
Synthesis of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles by Flame Spray Pyrolysis and Safety Assessment
by Ioanna Efthimiou, Yiannis Georgiou, Dimitris Vlastos, Stefanos Dailianis, Yiannis Deligiannakis and Maria Antonopoulou
Toxics 2026, 14(4), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040330 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 340
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO), silver (Ag) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs), are three of the most widely manufactured NPs, while composite NPs have gained popularity due to their enhanced properties. NP release in environmental matrices increases chances of bioavailability and subsequent [...] Read more.
Zinc oxide (ZnO), silver (Ag) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs), are three of the most widely manufactured NPs, while composite NPs have gained popularity due to their enhanced properties. NP release in environmental matrices increases chances of bioavailability and subsequent impact on human health. The current study focuses on manufacturing, characterization and cyto-genotoxic assessment of Ag, ZnO/Ag, TiO2 and TiO2/Ag NPs with and without humic acids (HAs), aiming for a holistic approach that leads to a comprehensive profile of said NPs. It entails (a) the synthesis of the aforementioned NPs via single-nozzle Flame Spray Pyrolysis (SN-FSP); (b) the characterization of NPs (in powder form and in dispersion media) using Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS); and (c) the assessment of their genotoxicity and cytotoxicity against human lymphocytes in presence of two HAs, thus simulating actual environmental conditions, and without HAs, through the cytokinesis block micronucleus assay (CBMN) with cytochalasin-B. No genotoxicity was observed in any case, whereas cytotoxicity induction varied depending on the NP and the presence or absence of the two HAs. Therefore, it is indispensable to evaluate the toxic profile of NPs considering different environmental scenarios, while conducting an integrated characterization of NPs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior and Migration Mechanism of Microplastics)
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19 pages, 14023 KB  
Article
Revealing the Selenium-Mediated Regulatory Mechanisms of P. stratiotes in Response to Nanoplastics Stress from Multiple Perspectives of Transcriptomics, Metabolomics, and Plant Physiology
by Sixi Zhu, Zhipeng Ban, Haobin Yang, Junwei Zhang and Wenhui Lu
Toxics 2026, 14(3), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14030244 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 493
Abstract
As emerging pollutants, nanoplastics (NPs) are profoundly threatening aquatic ecosystems. However, the systematic response mechanisms of aquatic floating macrophytes to NP stress and the mitigation strategies of nanoselenium (Se) remain poorly understood. This study used P. stratiotes, a dominant species in freshwater [...] Read more.
As emerging pollutants, nanoplastics (NPs) are profoundly threatening aquatic ecosystems. However, the systematic response mechanisms of aquatic floating macrophytes to NP stress and the mitigation strategies of nanoselenium (Se) remain poorly understood. This study used P. stratiotes, a dominant species in freshwater ecological restoration, as the research object. By intervening in NP stress via foliar application of Se, the study systematically deciphered the plant’s response and mitigation mechanisms to NPs pollution through integrating physiological and biochemical analyses, ultrastructural observation of cells, and transcriptomic and metabolomic multi-omics techniques. The results showed that NP stress significantly reduced photosynthetic pigment concentration and inhibited photosystem function in Pistia stratiotes L., disrupted energy metabolism homeostasis, and simultaneously induced an outburst of reactive oxygen species (ROS). It activated non-enzymatic antioxidant substances such as flavonoids and glutathione (GSH), as well as enzymatic defense systems including catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), promoting the reprogramming of the plant’s metabolic strategy from growth priority to defense dominance. At the transcriptomic level, NP stress significantly altered the gene expression profile, with core pathways enriched in photosynthesis antenna proteins and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant differences in metabolites, with markedly upregulated contents of defense-related metabolites such as lipids and terpenoids. The intervention of NPs-Se effectively restored photosynthetic pigment contents and enzyme activities, alleviated cell membrane damage by repairing the photosynthetic apparatus, optimizing ribosome-mediated protein synthesis pathways, and strengthening the antioxidant defense network. Meanwhile, it regulated the expression of specific genes and the accumulation of core differential metabolites, reconstructed the balance between energy supply and defense investment, enabling the plant to achieve more efficient adaptive regulation. Multi-omics correlation analysis further confirmed that the responses of P. stratiotes to NPs and NPs-Se exhibited characteristics of coordinated regulation, highlighting the modular regulatory patterns of nano-stress responses. In conclusion, Se can effectively alleviate the stress damage of nanoplastics to P. stratiotes through multi-dimensional regulation, providing a key experimental basis and theoretical support for the ecological restoration of NP-polluted water bodies and ecological risk assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior and Migration Mechanism of Microplastics)
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Review

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44 pages, 11154 KB  
Review
From Enrichment to Fate: Transport, Transformation, and Fate of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Marine Environments
by Wei Ma, Xinjie Liang, Changling Ding, Yingying Ye and Jiji Li
Toxics 2026, 14(2), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14020120 - 27 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1245
Abstract
With the increasing detection of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in marine environments and the expanding body of related research, their environmental behavior and ecological effects have become central topics in marine environmental science. This review addresses the growing concern over MNP pollution in [...] Read more.
With the increasing detection of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in marine environments and the expanding body of related research, their environmental behavior and ecological effects have become central topics in marine environmental science. This review addresses the growing concern over MNP pollution in the marine realm, encompassing their primary sources, spatial accumulation and distribution, environmental transport and transformation dynamics, and ecotoxicological effects on marine organisms and ecosystems, as well as the ecological risks they pose within key habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs. We synthesize evidence on the biological impacts of MNPs, including oxidative stress, tissue accumulation, metabolic disturbances, and immune impairment, as well as the heightened risk of pathogen transmission facilitated by the so-called “Plastisphere”. Moreover, we explore the potential implications of MNP exposure on oceanic carbon cycling and net primary productivity. The reviewed literature suggests that MNPs are capable of long-range transport and progressive fragmentation into ultrafine particles, which are readily ingested and retained by a wide array of marine organisms, subsequently inducing toxicological effects and compromising both organismal health and ecological integrity. Such disturbances may undermine critical ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration capacity and food web stability. Finally, based on the current research landscape, we outline future research priorities: improving environmental detection and toxicological evaluation of MNPs, elucidating their long-term effects at the ecosystem scale, and investigating their interactions with co-occurring pollutants under complex, multi-stressor scenarios. These efforts are essential to support science-based assessment and effective management strategies for marine MNP pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior and Migration Mechanism of Microplastics)
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