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Journals
Toxics
Special Issues
Degradation and Remediation of Environmental Pollutants
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Degradation and Remediation of Environmental Pollutants

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Toxicity Reduction and Environmental Remediation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 2051

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Osamah J. Al-sareji

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Centre of Engineering Sciences, Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, University of Pannonia, P.O. Box 158, H-8201 Veszprém, Hungary
Interests: emerging contaminants; performance improvements; recyclability pharmaceutical removal; adsorption; wastewater treatment; activated carbon; degradation
Dr. Ruqayah Ali Grmasha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering, Center for Natural Science, University of Pannonia, H-8200 Veszprem, Hungary
Interests: emerging contaminants; monitoring; performance improvements; pollutions; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; pharmaceutical removal; adsorption; water treatment; reusability; activated carbon
Dr. Raed A Al-Juboori

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Water and Environmental Engineering Research Group, Department of Built Environment, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15200, Aalto, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland
Interests: advanced oxidation for water treatment processes; membrane technology; adsorption; nutrient recovery from wastewater and harnessing recycled waste for environmental applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Activities in agriculture, industrial processes, and human behavior significantly contribute to the increasing levels of pollutants in aquatic environments. Wastewater often contains a wide spectrum of contaminants, including potentially toxic elements (PTEs), phenolic compounds, dyes, pesticides, and herbicides. Additionally, it frequently harbors emerging micropollutants such as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), and nitrosamines. These contaminants are often characterized by their bioaccumulative, carcinogenic, persistent, and mutagenic properties, posing serious risks to aquatic ecosystems, organisms, and human health. This special issue aims to highlight innovative studies of interest to the journal’s audience, with a particular focus on the degradation and remediation of environmental pollutants. Special attention is given to the development of advanced technologies for the removal and degradation of pollutants from different water matrices. Addressing these critical issues requires a systems-oriented approach to emerging contaminants and the challenges they present. This special issue seeks to bridge existing knowledge gaps in environmental engineering by inviting contributions that explore novel solutions for pollutant degradation and remediation across different water matrices. The submission of both original research articles and comprehensive review papers is strongly encouraged.

Dr. Osamah J. Al-sareji
Dr. Ruqayah Ali Grmasha
Dr. Raed A Al-Juboori
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

  • water and wastewater treatment
  • degradation
  • pharmaceutical removal
  • reusability
  • performance improvements
  • chemical treatment
  • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • emerging contaminants
  • activated carbon
  • physical treatment

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 1586 KB  
Article
Microbial Biodegradation of Chlorothalonil Residual Pollutants in Soil and Tomato Plants by Microencapsulated Proteus terrae ZQ02
by Sajjad Ahmad, Jie Liu and Murugesan Chandrasekaran
Toxics 2026, 14(5), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14050352 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 698
Abstract
Chlorothalonil is a widely used fungicide in agriculture, but its excessive application can lead to environmental contamination. This study investigated the biodegradation potential of Proteus terrae ZQ02 in free and immobilized forms. Under optimal conditions (37 °C, pH 7), free cells degraded 97.2–98.7% [...] Read more.
Chlorothalonil is a widely used fungicide in agriculture, but its excessive application can lead to environmental contamination. This study investigated the biodegradation potential of Proteus terrae ZQ02 in free and immobilized forms. Under optimal conditions (37 °C, pH 7), free cells degraded 97.2–98.7% of chlorothalonil (50 mg/L) within seven days. Bacterial microcapsules were prepared using 3% sodium alginate, 2% calcium chloride, and 60 g/L wet biomass, with encapsulation times ranging from 6 to 12 h. The microcapsules displayed uniform size, high mechanical strength, porous structure, and excellent mass transfer, ensuring stable degradation activity. Encapsulated cells demonstrate enhanced tolerance to variations in pH, temperature, and salinity compared to free cells. In soil, microcapsules reduced chlorothalonil half-lives to 1.33–5.45 days for concentrations of 10–30 mg/L, achieving 92–96% degradation over 14–35 days. In tomato-planted soils, encapsulated and free cells degraded 96.3% and 81.6% of residues, respectively, after 28 days, significantly exceeding the control. These findings highlight that immobilization improves the stability, reusability, and efficiency of P. terrae ZQ02, making it a promising strategy for sustainable chlorothalonil biodegradation. The study demonstrates the potential of combining microbial strains with carrier materials for effective pesticide remediation and environmental protection, providing a foundation for large-scale applications in contaminated agroecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Degradation and Remediation of Environmental Pollutants)
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Review

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33 pages, 3293 KB  
Review
Bridging Material Innovation and Environmental Safety: Aerogel-Based Magnetic Nanocomposites as Emerging Platforms for Water Decontamination
by Elena-Theodora Moldoveanu, Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu, Denisa Alexandra Florea, Tony Hadibarata, Alexandru-Mihai Grumezescu and Dan-Eduard Mihaiescu
Toxics 2026, 14(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14020115 - 26 Jan 2026
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 960
Abstract
Currently, water pollution is one of the major global environmental sustainability and public health issues that requires efficient and viable remediation technologies, as existing decontamination methods face limitations. In this sense, this review aims to highlight the potential of multifunctional aerogel-based magnetic nanocomposites [...] Read more.
Currently, water pollution is one of the major global environmental sustainability and public health issues that requires efficient and viable remediation technologies, as existing decontamination methods face limitations. In this sense, this review aims to highlight the potential of multifunctional aerogel-based magnetic nanocomposites as a novel strategy for water decontamination by integrating magnetic nanostructures into aerogel matrices that promote high adsorption capacity, selective catalysis, and facile magnetic recovery. In this regard, providing a comprehensive analysis of their functional design, contaminant-removal mechanisms, and multifunctional performance is crucial for developing and optimizing a system capable of addressing complex pollutants through multiple mechanisms (e.g., adsorption, photocatalysis, and reductive pathways). However, ecotoxicological evaluations focus on the potential for nanoparticles to leach, induce oxidative stress, and cause aquatic toxicity, supporting the development of strategies that comply with safety principles. Additionally, this review examines the aerogels’ capabilities for regeneration, operational stability, and scalability across repeated-use cycles, as well as their potential for real-world wastewater applications. Moreover, future directions for these aerogels include the development of smart, stimuli-responsive aerogels, machine-learning-based modeling, and the use of green synthesis approaches to enable sustainable water remediation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Degradation and Remediation of Environmental Pollutants)
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