Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
4.1
Journals
Toxics
Special Issues
Atmospheric Emissions Characteristics and Its Impact on Human Health—2nd Edition
share announcement

Atmospheric Emissions Characteristics and Its Impact on Human Health—2nd Edition

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Pollution and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1967

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Qian Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Interests: heavy metal; light-absorbing carbonaceous particles; health risks; toxics source apportionment; atmospheric pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Hongmei Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710055, China
Interests: personal exposure to air pollutants and their health effects; emission characteristics; source apportionment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tian Chang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
Interests: volatile organic compounds and their health risk; ultrafine particles; air pollution control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Peng Wei

E-Mail
Guest Editor
School of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
Interests: air quality; atmospheric pollution; air pollution studies; exposure modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) poses a significant threat to human health. Many of its constituents, such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are identified as toxic substances with severe carcinogenic and mutagenic effects, leading to pulmonary, cardiovascular, and neurological injuries.

This Special Issue welcomes studies focusing on the health effects of atmospheric PM, including health risk assessments and exposure modeling. Interregional, international, and historical studies are highly encouraged. We welcome submissions on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Analysis of the hazardous substances in PM and evaluation of their health risk.
  2. Assessment of the carcinogenic potential of specific air pollutants and their related increased risk of various types of cancer.
  3. Evaluation of the health effects of various atmospheric PM chemical compositions from anthropogenic sources.
  4. Toxic and health effects or epidemiological investigations of personal exposure to atmospheric pollutants.
  5. Occupational exposure; the potential health effects of specific pollution sources on surrounding residents or employees.
  6. Control of PM hazardous compounds using advanced technologies.

In Volume I, this Special Issue successfully concluded with the publication of 11 outstanding papers that covered a diverse range of critical topics. These contributions addressed the coordinated control of PM2.5 and O3, health risk assessments of heavy metals, advanced source apportionment, and the spatiotemporal analysis of pollutants in various environments, from industrial cities and ports to indoor school settings. This foundational work has established significant momentum, which we aim to build upon with this Volume Ⅱ. This Special Issue will continue to focus on the impacts of atmospheric particulate matter on human health. We welcome the submission of original research articles, communications, and reviews that can provide the scientific basis for developing effective environmental policies and safeguarding public health.

Dr. Qian Zhang
Prof. Dr. Hongmei Xu
Dr. Tian Chang
Dr. Peng Wei
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

  • air pollution
  • health risk assessment
  • atmospheric emissions
  • personal exposure
  • particulate matter
  • toxic pollutants
  • optical characteristics
  • secondary organic aerosol
  • source apportionment

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 5382 KB  
Article
Insight into the Formation of Winter Black Carbon and Brown Carbon over Xi’an in Northwestern China
by Dan Li, Qian Zhang, Ziqi Meng, Hongmei Xu, Peng Wei, Yu Wang and Zhenxing Shen
Toxics 2026, 14(1), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14010093 - 20 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 982
Abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of air pollution control measures in Xi’an, China, by investigating long-term changes in the concentrations, optical properties, and sources of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC). Wintertime observations of PM2.5 carbonaceous aerosols were conducted over multiple [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the effectiveness of air pollution control measures in Xi’an, China, by investigating long-term changes in the concentrations, optical properties, and sources of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC). Wintertime observations of PM2.5 carbonaceous aerosols were conducted over multiple years using a continuous Aethalometer. The data were analyzed using advanced aethalometer models, potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis, and generalized additive models (GAMs) to deconstruct emission sources and formation pathways. Our results revealed a significant decrease in the mass concentration and light absorption coefficient of BC (babs-BC) between the earlier and later study periods, indicating successful emission reductions. In contrast, the light absorption from BrC (babs-BrC) remained relatively stable, suggesting persistent and distinct emission sources. Source apportionment analysis demonstrated a temporal shift in dominant regional influences, from biomass burning in the initial years to coal combustion in later years. In addition, GAMs showed that the primary driver for liquid fuel-derived BC transitioned from gasoline to diesel vehicle emissions. For solid fuels, residential coal combustion consistently contributed over 50% of BC, highlighting that improvements in coal combustion technology were effective in reducing BC emissions. Furthermore, a substantial fraction of BrC was increased, with nocturnal peaks associated with high relative humidity, emphasizing the aqueous-phase formation influences. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that although certain control strategies successfully mitigated BC, the persistent challenge of BrC pollution necessitates targeted measures addressing secondary formation and primary fossil fuel sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Emissions Characteristics and Its Impact on Human Health—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

35 pages, 782 KB  
Review
Health Risk and Pathogenesis of PM2.5 in Human Systems
by Ronghua Zhang, Zhengliang Zhang, Ziru Zhou, Fang Yi, Yulan Yang, Dongmei Guo, Qianying Zhang, Hanyan Wang, Yang Chen, Jingli Qian, Shike Shang, Fumo Yang, Mi Tian, Jingyu Chen and Shumin Zhang
Toxics 2026, 14(4), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040286 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 585
Abstract
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) poses a significant global environmental health threat and is closely associated with diseases across multiple organ systems. This review systematically summarizes the toxic effects and underlying mechanisms of PM2.5 in the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, immune, endocrine, [...] Read more.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) poses a significant global environmental health threat and is closely associated with diseases across multiple organ systems. This review systematically summarizes the toxic effects and underlying mechanisms of PM2.5 in the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, immune, endocrine, digestive, and genitourinary systems. Key pathogenic processes involve shared pathways such as oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and apoptosis, along with the activation of system-specific signaling networks. The complex composition and notable spatiotemporal variability of PM2.5 present challenges for assessing its health risks and clarifying its mechanisms. Moving forward, integrating multi-omics and molecular epidemiology approaches will be essential to unravel its multi-system pathogenic networks and support the development of effective intervention strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Emissions Characteristics and Its Impact on Human Health—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop