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Toxics
Special Issues
Human Biomonitoring in Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Chemicals
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Human Biomonitoring in Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Chemicals

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Toxicology and Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 2306

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiang Zeng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, China
Interests: e-waste; disposable plastics; fast food; takeaway food; health risk; heavy metals; emerging contaminants; microbiota; metabolomics
Dr. Shaoyou Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Interests: environmental contaminants; human exposure; organic pollutants; risk assessment; early life

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue "Human Biomonitoring in Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Chemicals" is a collection of research articles that explore the role of human biomonitoring in assessing the health risks associated with emerging chemicals. Human biomonitoring is a scientific approach that involves the measurement of chemicals or their metabolites in biological samples (such as blood, urine, hair, or tissues) collected from humans. This technique is used to assess exposure to various chemicals, including emerging contaminants, and to evaluate potential health risks associated with these exposures. This Special Issue would provide a valuable platform for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to share their latest findings and insights on the role of human biomonitoring in assessing health risks associated with emerging chemicals. By focusing on key areas such as emerging contaminants, biomarker development, population studies, health outcomes, and regulatory implications, this Special Issue could contribute to advancing our understanding of the potential health risks posed by these chemicals and inform efforts to protect public health.

Dr. Xiang Zeng
Dr. Shaoyou Lu
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. 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

  • biomonitoring
  • health risk
  • emerging chemicals
  • PFAS
  • PAEs
  • BPs
  • microplastics
  • 6PPD
  • dechlorane plus
  • heavy metals

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1650 KiB  
Article
Biomonitoring of Inorganic Pollutants in Blood Samples of Population Affected by the Tajogaite Eruption: The ISVOLCAN Study in Spain
by Katherine Simbaña-Rivera, María Cristo Rodríguez-Pérez, Manuel Enrique Fuentes-Ferrer, Manuel Zumbado Peña, Ángel Rodríguez Hernández, Julia Eychenne, Lucie Sauzéat, Damary S. Jaramillo-Aguilar, Ana Rodríguez Chamorro and Luis D. Boada
Toxics 2025, 13(7), 581; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13070581 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 220
Abstract
Volcanic eruptions release gases and particulates that may adversely affect human health. The Tajogaite eruption on La Palma provided a unique opportunity to evaluate inorganic pollutant exposure in a directly affected population. As part of the ISVOLCAN study, blood samples from 393 adults [...] Read more.
Volcanic eruptions release gases and particulates that may adversely affect human health. The Tajogaite eruption on La Palma provided a unique opportunity to evaluate inorganic pollutant exposure in a directly affected population. As part of the ISVOLCAN study, blood samples from 393 adults residing in the island’s western region were analyzed for 43 inorganic elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), including 20 toxic elements identified by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The median age of participants was 51 years, and 56.7% were female. Higher levels of Hg and Mn were associated with long-term occupational exposure, while smoking was linked to elevated Cd, Pb, and Sr levels. Participants living within 6.5 km of the volcano had significantly higher concentrations of Al and Ti. Ash cleanup activities were associated with increased levels of Ni and Cu, and those spending over five hours outdoors daily showed elevated Se and Pb. This is the first biomonitoring study to assess blood concentrations of inorganic pollutants in a population exposed to volcanic emissions. The findings highlight key exposure factors and underscore the need for continued research to assess long-term health effects and inform public health measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Biomonitoring in Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Chemicals)
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14 pages, 1622 KiB  
Article
Neonicotinoid Residues in Tea Products from China: Contamination Patterns and Implications for Human Exposure
by Yulong Fan, Hongwei Jin, Jinru Chen, Kai Lin, Lihua Zhu, Yijia Guo, Jiajia Ji and Xiaming Chen
Toxics 2025, 13(7), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13070550 - 29 Jun 2025
Viewed by 350
Abstract
Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are a class of systemic insecticides widely used in agriculture owing to their high efficacy and selectivity. As one of the most globally consumed beverages, tea may represent a potential dietary source of pesticide residues. However, limited research has examined NEO [...] Read more.
Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are a class of systemic insecticides widely used in agriculture owing to their high efficacy and selectivity. As one of the most globally consumed beverages, tea may represent a potential dietary source of pesticide residues. However, limited research has examined NEO contamination in tea and its implications for human exposure, highlighting the need for further investigation. Therefore, this study comprehensively evaluated the residue characteristics, processing effects, and human exposure risks of six NEOs—dinotefuran (DIN), imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), thiamethoxam (THM), clothianidin (CLO), and thiacloprid (THI)—in Chinese tea products. According to the findings, the primary pollutants, ACE, DIN, and IMI, accounted for 95.65% of the total NEO residues in 137 tea samples, including green, oolong, white, black, dark, and herbal teas. The highest total target NEO (∑6NEOs) residue level was detected in oolong tea (mean: 57.86 ng/g). Meanwhile, IMI exhibited the highest residue level (78.88 ng/g) in herbal tea due to the absence of high-temperature fixation procedures. Concentrations of DIN in 61 samples (44.5%) exceeded the European Union’s maximum residue limit of 10 ng/g. Health risk assessment indicated that both the chronic hazard quotient (cHQ) and acute hazard quotient (aHQ) for adults and children were below the safety threshold (<1). However, children required special attention, as their exposure risk was 1.28 times higher than that of adults. The distribution of NEO residues was significantly influenced by tea processing techniques, such as full fermentation in black tea. Optimizing processing methods (e.g., using infrared enzyme deactivation) and implementing targeted pesticide application strategies may help mitigate risk. These results provide a scientific foundation for enhancing tea safety regulations and protecting consumer health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Biomonitoring in Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Chemicals)
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19 pages, 19754 KiB  
Article
Protective Effects of Polygonatum sibiricum Polysaccharides Against Type 2 Diabetic Mice Induced by High-Fat Diet and Low-Dose Streptozotocin
by Qingxiangzi Li, Jufen Cheng, Yangyang Sun, Liang He and Rui Li
Toxics 2025, 13(4), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13040255 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 524
Abstract
Polysaccharides possessing hypoglycemic effects have shown promising results in treating diabetes. Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP) is one of the most active ingredients in the Chinese medicine P. sibiricum Redoute with many biological activities. However, its efficacy in alleviating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [...] Read more.
Polysaccharides possessing hypoglycemic effects have shown promising results in treating diabetes. Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP) is one of the most active ingredients in the Chinese medicine P. sibiricum Redoute with many biological activities. However, its efficacy in alleviating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains unexplored. Our aim is to evaluate the protective effect of PSP against T2DM by measuring body weight and serum biochemical indicators, examining the histopathological images of pancreatic and liver tissues, detecting fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content, and analyzing the intestinal flora diversity and the microbiota structure in T2DM mice. The findings indicated that PSP treatment in T2DM mice could obviously decrease the fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin levels, ameliorate glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, lipid, and inflammatory factor levels, attenuate pancreatic and liver damage, and increase the fecal SCFA content. In addition, PSP could modulate the composition of gut microbiota in T2DM mice, resulting in the relative abundance of Firmicutes decreasing and that of Bacteroidetes increasing, along with the abundance of beneficial flora significantly increasing, especially SCFA-producing bacteria. The findings indicate that PSP administration protected against diabetes by controlling disordered glucolipid metabolism and modulating the gut microbiota, which provides a valuable strategy for the utilization of PSP to treat T2DM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Biomonitoring in Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Chemicals)
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Review

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33 pages, 602 KiB  
Review
Micro- and Nanoplastics and Fetal Health: Challenges in Assessment and Evidence from Epidemiological Studies
by Ankica Sekovanić, Tatjana Orct and Zorana Kljaković-Gašpić
Toxics 2025, 13(5), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13050388 - 12 May 2025
Viewed by 820
Abstract
The usage of plastics in life and industrial applications has led to global environmental pollution by micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs). Despite their widespread occurrence in the environment, little is known about their presence in humans and the potential implications for human health, particularly [...] Read more.
The usage of plastics in life and industrial applications has led to global environmental pollution by micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs). Despite their widespread occurrence in the environment, little is known about their presence in humans and the potential implications for human health, particularly maternal and fetal health during the prenatal and neonatal periods. Studies on experimental animals indicate that exposure to MPs/NPs can lead to neurological abnormalities in offspring and hemodynamic alterations in the placenta and fetal cerebral arteries. These findings underscore the need for further epidemiological studies that examine the effects of MPs/NPs on fetal health during pregnancy, a critical period for neurological development. This review summarizes the existing knowledge on the effects of prenatal exposure to MPs/NPs on fetal development and birth outcomes in humans and provides a detailed overview of the challenges encountered in contamination prevention, quality assurance and quality control in analytical procedures. It also discusses the sampling and digestion methods used for the extraction of MPs/NPs from biological samples of maternal and fetal origin, highlighting the difficulties associated with accurately quantifying these particles in complex biological matrices, identifying the gaps in current research, and suggesting recommendations to improve methodologies for assessing the risks associated with prenatal MP/NP exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Biomonitoring in Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Chemicals)
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