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Toxics
Special Issues
Biomonitoring for Emerging Contaminants: From Detection to Risk Assessment
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Biomonitoring for Emerging Contaminants: From Detection to Risk Assessment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 5260

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wenlong Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Interests: persistent organic pollutants (POPs); modeling; pollutant risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the advancement of environmental science, there are increasing concerns about the potential impacts of emerging contaminants (such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), pharmaceuticals, personal care products, etc.) on ecosystems and human health. These substances have garnered attention due to their ubiquitous presence, persistence, and potential toxicity. However, our understanding of their behavior in the environment, exposure pathways, and effects on organisms remains limited. There is an urgent need for systematic approaches that are able to monitor, assess, and manage the risks associated with these emerging contaminants to be developed.

This Special Issue aims to collate original research articles, reviews, and case studies focusing on biomonitors, methodological advancements, exposure routes, and risk assessment strategies for emerging contaminants. Contributions exploring novel biomarkers, improvements in detection technologies, assessments of human and environmental exposures, and the application of biomonitoring data to risk management practices are particularly welcome to be submitted.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Innovative detection techniques and methodologies for emerging contaminants;
  • Development and application of biomarkers in biomonitoring;
  • Exposure assessment of emerging contaminants in various media (water, air, soil, food);
  • Uptake, metabolism, and effects of emerging contaminants in humans and ecosystems;
  • Development and validation of risk assessment models addressing emerging contaminants;
  • Risk management strategies based on biomonitoring data.

We look forward to receiving contributions from researchers around the world sharing their insights and latest findings, enhancing our understanding of emerging contaminants and promoting more effective risk management measures.

Dr. Wenlong Li
Guest Editor

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

  • biomonitoring
  • emerging contaminants
  • risk assessment
  • detection
  • identification

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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

13 pages, 1304 KB  
Article
Mosses ML: Machine-Learning-Enhanced Biomonitoring of Emerging Contaminants Using Hylocomium splendens: An Integrated Approach Linking Atmospheric Deposition, Trace Metals, and Predictive Risk Assessment
by Grzegorz Kosior, Kacper Matik, Monika Sporek, Zbigniew Ziembik and Antonina Kalinichenko
Toxics 2026, 14(2), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14020121 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 640
Abstract
Atmospheric deposition of emerging contaminants, including toxic trace elements, remains a critical environmental and public health concern. Moss biomonitoring offers a sensitive and cost-effective tool for assessing airborne pollutants, yet traditional analyses rely on descriptive statistics and lack predictive and mechanistic insights. Here, [...] Read more.
Atmospheric deposition of emerging contaminants, including toxic trace elements, remains a critical environmental and public health concern. Moss biomonitoring offers a sensitive and cost-effective tool for assessing airborne pollutants, yet traditional analyses rely on descriptive statistics and lack predictive and mechanistic insights. Here, we introduce Mosses ML, a machine-learning-enhanced framework that integrates moss biomonitoring with bulk and dry deposition measurements to improve detection, interpretation, and risk assessment of atmospheric contaminants. Using Hylocomium splendens transplants exposed for 90 days across industrial, urban, and rural sites in Upper Silesia (Poland), we combined trace element accumulation (Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, Fe), relative accumulation factors (RAFs), PCA-derived gradients, and site-level metadata with Random Forest and Gradient Boosting models. ML algorithms achieved high predictive performance (R2 up to 0.91), accurately estimating moss metal concentrations from deposition metrics and environmental variables. SHAP feature-importance analysis identified dry deposition load and co-occurring metal signals as the dominant predictors of contamination, confirming the primary role of particulate emissions in shaping moss chemistry. Compared with classical threshold-based classification, the ML approach improved high-risk site identification by 24–38%. Mosses ML combines biologically meaningful indicators with modern computational tools, strengthening the role of mosses as early-warning systems for atmospheric pollution. The framework is broadly applicable to bryophyte biomonitoring and supports regulatory decision-making for emerging contaminants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomonitoring for Emerging Contaminants: From Detection to Risk Assessment)
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23 pages, 3705 KB  
Article
Environmental and Health Risk Assessments of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Based on Source Apportionment—A Case Study in Harbin, a Megacity in Northeastern China
by Jinpan Jiang, Bo Li, Binyuan Wang, Lu Lu, Fan Meng, Chongguo Tian, Hong Qi and Ai-Ling Lian
Toxics 2026, 14(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14010046 - 31 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1587
Abstract
The multiple sources and concomitant negative environmental and health impacts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere demonstrate their importance in air pollution control. This study employed environment- and health risk-oriented source apportionment methods to quantitatively estimate VOCs’ contribution to air pollution [...] Read more.
The multiple sources and concomitant negative environmental and health impacts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere demonstrate their importance in air pollution control. This study employed environment- and health risk-oriented source apportionment methods to quantitatively estimate VOCs’ contribution to air pollution and health risks, using offline VOC measurements from the Harbin urban region from 2021 to 2022. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) averaged 25.6 ± 8.2 ppb, except for alkanes (34.4%), and aromatics (24.2%) were found to be a major contributor, with the highest LOH (38.0%), ozone formation potential (OFP) (43.0%), and secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP) (95.0%) and exerting a directly toxic effect (46.0%). Positive matrix factorization (PMF) source apportionment revealed that vehicle exhausts, combustion sources, solvent and coating usage, solvent and fuel evaporation, and petrochemical industry sources were key VOC sources. A health risk assessment showed that there was an integrated carcinogenic risk of 5.8 × 10−4, with respiratory (1.5 × 10−4) and hematologic systems (1.5 × 10−4) representing higher carcinogenic risks. Both benzene and naphthalene exhibited carcinogenic risks of 1.5 × 10−4, implying an excess of higher cancer risk levels (1.0 × 10−4). Significant joint environmental and health benefits could be obtained by reducing benzene and naphthalene concentrations by about 50.0%, along with the abatement of vehicle exhausts (82.6%), combustion sources (40.7%), and solvent and coating usage (50.7%). This study can serve as useful guidance for the quantitative mitigation of hazardous VOCs and their key sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomonitoring for Emerging Contaminants: From Detection to Risk Assessment)
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14 pages, 1419 KB  
Article
Nationwide Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Indoor Dust Across China: Pollution Characteristics, Sources, and Particle Size Distribution
by Mei-Hua Tian, Wen-Long Li, Liang Wang, Ting Cai, Shuang Du, Xin-Hong Wang and Chun-Yan Huo
Toxics 2025, 13(10), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13100821 - 26 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1149
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor dust pose significant health risks due to their persistence and carcinogenicity. This study comprehensively evaluates PAH concentrations, spatial distribution, sources and particle size distribution in indoor dust collected across 26 Chinese provinces. Each dust sample was fractionated [...] Read more.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor dust pose significant health risks due to their persistence and carcinogenicity. This study comprehensively evaluates PAH concentrations, spatial distribution, sources and particle size distribution in indoor dust collected across 26 Chinese provinces. Each dust sample was fractionated into six fractions: F1 (1000–2000 μm), F2 (500–1000 μm), F3 (250–500 μm), F4 (125–250 μm), F5 (63–125 μm), F6 (<63 μm). The total concentration of the 17 PAHs (∑17PAHs) ranged from 0.63 to 247 μg·g−1, with a median value of 4.3 μg·g−1. High ∑17PAH concentrations were found in North China. PAHs with three rings and four rings were the most prevalent PAHs, accounting for 80.8% of ∑17PAHs. PAH concentration is negatively correlated with dust particle size, and there are certain differences in the particle size distribution patterns of different types of dust samples. The diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that indoor dust mainly originated from fuel combustion and traffic emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomonitoring for Emerging Contaminants: From Detection to Risk Assessment)
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20 pages, 286 KB  
Article
Insights from Expert Interviews on Navigating the Complexity of Prioritizing Chemicals for Human Biomonitoring in Latvia
by Linda Matisāne, Lāsma Akūlova, Ilona Pavlovska, Monta Matisāne and Ivars Vanadziņš
Toxics 2025, 13(9), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090715 - 25 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1303
Abstract
Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a vital tool for assessing chemical exposure in populations and informing evidence-based public health policy. For smaller countries such as Latvia, establishing a national HBM program presents specific challenges, including limited prior experience, national data gaps, and resource constraints. [...] Read more.
Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a vital tool for assessing chemical exposure in populations and informing evidence-based public health policy. For smaller countries such as Latvia, establishing a national HBM program presents specific challenges, including limited prior experience, national data gaps, and resource constraints. This study explores the expert experiences and reflections gathered during the development of Latvia’s national HBM chemical prioritization process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight experts who were directly involved in evaluating and selecting substances for inclusion in the program. The focus of this study is not on the outcomes of the prioritization itself—published elsewhere—but rather on the strategies applied, challenges encountered, and lessons learned in navigating the prioritization process. A qualitative content analysis identified several key themes, including limitations in data availability, institutional coordination challenges, differences in expert opinion, and the complexity of adapting international methodologies to the national context. Despite these obstacles, the process benefitted from interdisciplinary collaboration, iterative methodological refinement, and the strategic use of international frameworks. The findings offer practical insights for countries with limited resources that are initiating or refining their national HBM programs. This study highlights the importance of national data infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and tailored methodological approaches to ensure an effective and context-sensitive prioritization process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomonitoring for Emerging Contaminants: From Detection to Risk Assessment)
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