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Toxics
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Occurrence, Fate, and Ecotoxicological Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants in...
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Occurrence, Fate, and Ecotoxicological Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Aquatic Environments

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Emerging Contaminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 1860

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Femi Oloye

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Division of Physical and Computational Sciences, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Bradford, PA, USA
Interests: wastewater surveillance; catalysis; toxicology; pollution monitoring and remediation; fate and behaviour of chemicals; organic chemistry and physical chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mohsen Asadi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), Montreal, QC, Canada
Interests: wastewater; heavy metals; urban wetland ecosystems; greenhouse gas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite researchers, educators, and students to contribute to a Special Issue dedicated to advancing knowledge on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Aquatic Environments and Ecotoxicology. This collection seeks to highlight the occurrence, transport, fate, and ecological impacts of POPs, as well as strategies for monitoring, mitigation, and policy development. Submissions may address, but are not limited to, topics such as contaminant dynamics in freshwater and marine systems, bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms, ecosystem-level effects, and the use of novel analytical or modelling tools. Both original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome. We especially encourage contributions that bridge scientific understanding with applied environmental management and public health considerations. In line with our commitment to supporting early-career scientists, we warmly encourage graduate and undergraduate students to submit their findings. Student-led contributions provide an important perspective on emerging challenges, innovative methodologies, and future research directions. Through this Special Issue, we aim to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and provide a platform for diverse voices in the field of environmental toxicology. By sharing insights and results, we hope to collectively deepen understanding of POPs in aquatic systems and inform sustainable solutions.

Dr. Femi Oloye
Dr. Mohsen Asadi
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

  • persistent organic pollutants
  • aquatic environments
  • bioaccumulation
  • contaminant fate and transport
  • ecotoxicology
  • emerging pollutants
  • environmental monitoring
  • toxicity assessment
  • polution

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 915 KB  
Article
Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Chlorinated Paraffins in Seawater and Kelp from Kelp Mariculture Areas of the Shandong Peninsula
by Long Xiao, Jingjing Luo, Jinzhao Hou, Qingkui Cui, Yuzhu Ding, Yuhui Tang, Jia Liu, Yanqing Sun, Jing Wang, Dianfeng Han and Yingjiang Xu
Toxics 2026, 14(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14020183 - 18 Feb 2026
Viewed by 722
Abstract
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. In marine environments, most studies have focused on short-chain CPs (SCCPs) in animals, while medium-and long-chain CPs (MCCPs and LCCPs) in plants have been neglected. In this study, samples collected from kelp mariculture zones in [...] Read more.
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. In marine environments, most studies have focused on short-chain CPs (SCCPs) in animals, while medium-and long-chain CPs (MCCPs and LCCPs) in plants have been neglected. In this study, samples collected from kelp mariculture zones in different seasons were analyzed for the CPs’ contamination characteristics and spatiotemporal distributions in seawater and contamination profiles, bioaccumulation behavior, and dietary exposure risks in kelp. In seawater, the total concentration ranges of SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs were 25.44–245.75, 8.24–27.19, and not detected at 3.26 ng/L, respectively. Spatially, the CP concentrations were influenced by industrial discharge, riverine inputs, and dilution effects, and were significantly higher in nearshore water than in offshore areas (p < 0.05). The concentrations were significantly higher in February than in May, which was attributed to emissions from winter heating and reduced vessel activity during a fishing moratorium. In kelp, the total concentration ranges of SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs were 5.4–210.9, 0.007–0.87, and 0.0–4.45 ng/g wet weight, respectively. Kelp exhibited significant growth-stage-dependent bioaccumulation of CPs, with higher CP concentrations and bioaccumulation factors in its tender stage (February) than during its mature stage (May). Congener analysis revealed similar composition patterns between seawater and kelp. According to a dietary risk assessment (hazard quotient < 0.01), the potential health risks associated with kelp consumption are low. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occurrence, Fate, and Ecotoxicological Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Aquatic Environments)
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Review

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24 pages, 944 KB  
Review
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Through the One Health Lens: Integrating Human, Animal, and Environmental Health Perspectives
by Jose L. Domingo, Marília Cristina Oliveira Souza and Fernando Barbosa, Jr.
Toxics 2026, 14(5), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14050417 - 11 May 2026
Viewed by 795
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous combustion-derived contaminants that represent a significant cross-cutting threat to human, animal, and environmental health. Viewed through an explicit One Health lens, this review shows how the shared combustion sources, evolutionarily conserved toxicological mechanisms, and food-web linkages connecting [...] Read more.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous combustion-derived contaminants that represent a significant cross-cutting threat to human, animal, and environmental health. Viewed through an explicit One Health lens, this review shows how the shared combustion sources, evolutionarily conserved toxicological mechanisms, and food-web linkages connecting environmental contamination to wildlife and human exposure justify an integrated, cross-domain approach to PAH risk assessment and management. PAHs are generated predominantly through incomplete combustion of organic materials and are globally distributed through atmospheric transport, aquatic runoff, and food-web transfer, persisting in soils and sediments for decades. The present review synthesizes current knowledge on PAHs through an explicit One Health lens, examining shared sources, environmental fate, and convergent health effects across species and health domains, while also highlighting the need to move beyond the classical US EPA priority PAHs to include high-molecular-weight PAHs (>302 Da), alkylated homologues, and transformation products such as oxy- and nitro-PAHs. Common pathways such as dietary intake of grilled and smoked foods, inhalation of contaminated air, and occupational exposure create parallel toxicological burdens in both human and wildlife populations, particularly through genotoxic mechanisms mediated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation and CYP1A1/CYP1B1-catalyzed bioactivation to reactive diol epoxides. The resulting DNA adduct formation links environmental PAH exposure to carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, immunosuppression, and developmental impairment across vertebrate species with remarkable mechanistic consistency. Wildlife, especially fish, marine mammals, and seabirds, serve as critical sentinels for environmental PAH contamination, while simultaneously facing direct health impacts on immune function, reproduction, and population viability. Vulnerable human populations, including children, subsistence communities, occupational workers, and residents near combustion-intensive industries, bear disproportionate burdens reflecting underlying environmental justice concerns. Integrated intervention strategies encompassing source control, dietary exposure reduction, site remediation, and coordinated biomonitoring are urgently needed. By incorporating emerging PAH classes with distinct persistence, trophic behavior, and toxicological potency, the One Health paradigm provides a more comprehensive conceptual framework for modern environmental surveillance, food safety, and integrated risk assessment, recognizing that the health of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is inseparable from that of the animals and humans within them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occurrence, Fate, and Ecotoxicological Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Aquatic Environments)
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