Effects of Exposure to Emerging Environmental Pollutants on Human Health

Dear Colleagues,

Exposure to emerging environmental pollutants, including those in air, water, soil, and consumer products, poses significant risks to human health. While the adverse effects of well-characterized contaminants such as heavy metals and particulate matter are well documented, research on emerging contaminants remains in its early stages. These pollutants, including micro- and nanoplastics, novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), pharmaceutical residues, and other newly identified toxicants are increasingly being detected in the environment and human biomonitoring studies. Their persistence, bioaccumulation and potential long-term health effects warrant urgent scientific attention. Despite growing evidence of widespread exposure, significant gaps remain in understanding the toxicokinetics, mechanisms of action and cumulative health effects of  these new-age pollutants. Importantly, their disproportionate impact on  vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and low-income communities, raises concerns regarding environmental justice and regulatory gaps. Addressing this issue requires comprehensive strategies, such as stricter regulation of emissions, promoting cleaner energy sources, and raising awareness about the health impacts of pollution.

This Special Issue invites authors to contribute studies on emerging contaminants, exposure assessment  in diverse populations, novel analytical methods for identification and detection, toxicological and epidemiological evaluations, and mechanistic insights into the health effects of environmental exposure. By integrating research across disciplines, this Special Issue will provide a comprehensive perspective on the ever-evolving landscape of environmental contaminants to better inform strategies for risk assessment and policy development.

Dr. Biban Gill
Dr. Amith Maroli
Dr. Kelsi Perttula
Dr. Lauren Petrick
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.

• persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• emerging pollutants
• environmental exposure
• human Health epidemiology
• omics
• risk assessment
• molecular epidemiology