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Toxics
Special Issues
Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental Pollutants—2nd Edition
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Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental Pollutants—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1203

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Guang Jia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: mechanism and prevention of occupational and environmental pollutants (including nano-toxicology research, health risk assessment of heavy metals, biological monitoring and biomarker research, as well as multi-omics technology combined application)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhangjian Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
Interests: nanotoxicology; toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles; occupational health; environmental health; genotoxicity of nanomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of the effects of environmental pollutants on human health has received widespread attention, including whether traditional pollutants such as particulate matter and heavy metals, or new pollutants such as nanoparticles and microplastics, can have a serious impact on the environment and human health. Research into the potential toxic effects and mechanisms of environmental pollutants can provide a scientific basis for related prevention work.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to publish research on the potential toxicity and mechanisms of environmental pollutants affecting humans or the environment. We encourage the use of novel methods such as multi-omics techniques or research on new pollutants such as nanomaterials. Research using biomarkers to conduct biological monitoring to assess the impact of environmental or occupational pollutants on human exposure or health is welcomed, as well as reviews summarizing relevant recent advances.

In Volume I, we published papers exploring the impacts of various environmental exposures (including air pollutants, heavy metals, nanoparticles, etc.) on human and animal health, covering aspects like neuro damage, cell cytotoxicity, health-related associations, and genetic damage, advancing our understanding of environmental–health relationships.  We focus on environmental exposure and its effects on biological systems; original research articles, communications, and reviews in this area are welcome to be submitted.

Prof. Dr. Guang Jia
Dr. Zhangjian Chen
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

  • toxic effects
  • toxic mechanism
  • biomarkers
  • multi-omics techniques
  • nanotoxicity
  • heavy metals

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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

15 pages, 1978 KiB  
Article
Exposure to Metal Mixtures and Metabolic Syndrome in Residents Living near an Abandoned Lead–Zinc Mine: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Min Zhao, Qi Xu, Lingqiao Qin, Tufeng He, Yifan Zhang, Runlin Chen, Lijun Tao, Ting Chen and Qiuan Zhong
Toxics 2025, 13(7), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13070565 - 3 Jul 2025
Viewed by 427
Abstract
Information regarding the impact of polymetallic exposure on metabolic syndrome (MetS) among residents living near abandoned Pb-Zn mines is limited. Our objective was to investigate the impact of co-exposure to metal mixtures on the prevalence of MetS among residents. ICP-MS was used to [...] Read more.
Information regarding the impact of polymetallic exposure on metabolic syndrome (MetS) among residents living near abandoned Pb-Zn mines is limited. Our objective was to investigate the impact of co-exposure to metal mixtures on the prevalence of MetS among residents. ICP-MS was used to measure the levels of 24 metals in the urine of 1744 participants, including 723 participants living near abandoned Pb-Zn mines, labeled as exposed area, and 1021 participants from other towns, labeled as reference area in the same city. Multivariable generalized linear regression, adaptive LASSO penalized regression, and BKMR were used to assess the associations between metals and MetS. The levels of eleven metals were higher, while those of nine metals were lower in the exposed area than those in the reference area. Mg, Cd, Ti, TI, Zn, Rb, and Pb were selected as important MetS predictors using LASSO regression. In exposed area, urinary Zn and TI were positively associated with MetS, whereas Mg was negatively associated with MetS. In the reference area, urinary Zn was positively associated with MetS, whereas Mg and Ti were negatively associated with MetS. The BKMR model indicates a statistically significant positive overall effect of the seven metal mixtures on MetS in the exposed area. Polymetallic exposure was positively associated with MetS risk in the abandoned Pb-Zn mining areas, suggesting that excessive Zn and TI may be associated with a higher MetS risk among residents living near abandoned Pb-Zn mines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental Pollutants—2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 3193 KiB  
Article
HMGB1 as a Key Mediator in Malignant Mesothelioma and a Potential Target for Asbestos-Related Cancer Therapy
by Yi-Fang Zhong, Chan Ding, Chun-Ji Yao, Jia-Chun Wang, Min-Qian Feng, Xiao-Xue Gong, Lin Yu, Hua-Dong Xu and Hai-Ling Xia
Toxics 2025, 13(6), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13060448 - 28 May 2025
Viewed by 527
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure, and accumulating evidence suggests that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) plays a central role in its pathogenesis. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that HMGB1 was highly [...] Read more.
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure, and accumulating evidence suggests that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) plays a central role in its pathogenesis. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that HMGB1 was highly expressed in MM. Both genetic and pharmacological inhibition of HMGB1 markedly suppressed MM cell viability, migration, and invasion, while inducing G1-phase cell cycle arrest and enhancing apoptosis. Interestingly, the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), achieved through both siRNA and TAK-242 treatment, not only suppressed tumor-promoting signals but also reduced HMGB1 expression, suggesting a self-amplifying HMGB1-TLR4 loop. Mechanistically, in vitro experiments indicated that suppression of HMGB1 and TLR4 was associated with decreased activation of NF-κB, AKT, and ERK pathways, which are involved in regulating MM cell survival and motility. In xenograft models, treatment with ethyl pyruvate (EP) and TAK-242 significantly suppressed tumor growth and HMGB1 expression, reinforcing their therapeutic potential. Given HMGB1’s influence on both tumor cell behavior and the immune microenvironment, targeting the HMGB1-TLR4 axis may not only provide a novel therapeutic strategy for MM but also offer insights into the mechanisms underlying asbestos-induced tumorigenesis, potentially guiding future prevention and intervention strategies in asbestos-exposed populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental Pollutants—2nd Edition)
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