Emerging Contaminants at the Water–Food–Energy–Climate Nexus: Exposure Pathways and Sustainable Mitigation
A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Emerging Contaminants".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 May 2026 | Viewed by 15
Special Issue Editors
Interests: water resources governance and management; industrial and mining management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Xin Jiang Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Bioremediation, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Interests: wastewater treatment; sewage recycling; contaminant extraction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Water pollution discharges emerging pollutants—including microplastic particulates, pesticide residues, and industrial effluents—that serve as primary vectors for cross-system contamination, transferring toxic burdens from water sources into adjacent ecosystems, agricultural soils, and food chains. This aquatic pathway directly threatens the integrity of the water–food–energy nexus, where pollutant discharge and settling degrade crop yields, compromise water security, and increase energy demands for remediation. Crucially, such multi-media exposure amplifies human health risks through concurrent dermal contact and ingestion pathways, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities near discharge hotspots or irrigated farmlands. Simultaneously, the carbon footprint of pollution control—from effluent filtration energy costs to contaminated soil restoration—creates critical trade-offs between environmental health protection and climate goals.
This Special Issue targets innovative strategies to break the "discharge–transfer–expose–mitigate" cycle by prioritizing water pollution interception at the source. We seek studies quantifying the process of settling fluxes of waterborne toxics into nexus systems, evaluating cardiorespiratory and metabolic diseases from dual-exposure routes, and developing low-carbon technologies (e.g., solar-powered treatment, phytoremediation buffers) that reduce health burdens while minimizing carbon penalties. Contributions integrating real-time water quality sensor networks, life-cycle assessment, and environmental justice frameworks will advance climate-resilient health security across interconnected resource systems.
Prof. Dr. Shibao Lu
Prof. Dr. Liang Pei
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- water pollution
- emerging pollutants
- microplastic
- particulates
- pesticide residues
- ndustrial wastewater
- multi-media exposure
- human health risks
- life-cycle assessment
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