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Toxics
Special Issues
Environmental Transport, Transformation and Effect of Pollutants
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Environmental Transport, Transformation and Effect of Pollutants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 May 2026) | Viewed by 3900

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xiaoxia Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: degradation and transformation of pollutants; remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater; effects of pollutants on microorganisms; effects of pollutants on human being; risk assessment of contaminated sites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The presence of various pollutants in the environment causes concern due to their potential adverse effects on the ecosystem and human beings. Pollutants such as heavy metals, chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, per- and poly-fluorinated compounds, pesticides, antibiotics, and micro- and nano-plastics, among others, may be transported and transformed in the environment, and these processes are influenced by many factors, such as the physical, chemical, and biological properties of pollutants, the physiochemical and biological properties of the matrix, and the environmental conditions. Understanding the environmental processes of pollutants as well as their effects helps to establish sound science-based regulations and develop effective management practices.

This Special Issue welcomes the submission of papers focused on advanced research in the environmental processes and effects of pollutants. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Technologies for measurements of pollutants;

(2) Approaches to characterize environmental transport and transformation;

(3) Methods to predict and quantify environmental processes;

(4) Assessments of interactions between pollutants and the environmental matrix;

(5) Effects of transport and transformation of pollutants.

Dr. Xiaoxia Lu
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

  • environmental processes
  • pollutants
  • transport
  • transformation
  • effects

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 10946 KB  
Article
Environmental Behavior of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol in the Sediment-Overlying Water System with the Presence of Tubificid Worms
by Leyuan Zhang, Deming Dong, Xinyan Fu, Yu Zhao, Meihan Bao, Xiuyi Hua, Dapeng Liang and Haiyang Liu
Toxics 2026, 14(4), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040314 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 799
Abstract
To investigate the influence of bioturbating organisms on the migration and degradation of chlorophenols in freshwater sediments, simulated experimental systems were established, with tubificid worms employed as the model bioturbator and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) as a representative chlorophenol contaminant. The results showed that tubificid [...] Read more.
To investigate the influence of bioturbating organisms on the migration and degradation of chlorophenols in freshwater sediments, simulated experimental systems were established, with tubificid worms employed as the model bioturbator and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) as a representative chlorophenol contaminant. The results showed that tubificid worms significantly promoted the removal of TCP in sediments, with this effect mainly concentrated in the surface sediment layer (0–2 cm) and limited impact on deeper sediment layers (2–6 cm). The removal efficiency was higher in the low-concentration TCP group than in the high-concentration group. TCP in the overlying water was predominantly in the dissolved phase, and the presence of tubificid worms reduced the TCP concentration in the aqueous phase, resulting in a greater amount of removal. The bioturbation of tubificid worms altered the physicochemical characteristics of the system, increasing the turbidity of the overlying water, decreasing its pH, elevating the redox potential across different sediment depths, and improving the organic matter conditions. Tubificid worms also modified the bacterial community structure in both the overlying water and the sediment. The core mechanism by which tubificid worms accelerate TCP removal is through promoting the migration of TCP from the sediment to the overlying water, while concurrently regulating the bacterial community structure in the overlying water to enhance the degradation capacity of chlorophenols in this layer. This highlights the important role of bioturbators in aquatic ecosystems, and ignoring their presence may lead to an erroneous underestimation of the system’s self-purification capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Transport, Transformation and Effect of Pollutants)
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13 pages, 3298 KB  
Article
The Sediment–Water Partitioning Characteristics of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Urban Rivers Receiving Reclaimed Water
by Yuhan Gao, Zhaohe Zhang, Dian Chen, Yue Lan, Li Wang and Xingchun Jiao
Toxics 2026, 14(3), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14030190 - 25 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Urban rivers often contain a complex mixture of contaminants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), metals, and various salts. This study aimed to investigate the sediment–water partitioning characteristics of PFAS in urban rivers and analyze the hydrochemical causes of this specific feature. We [...] Read more.
Urban rivers often contain a complex mixture of contaminants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), metals, and various salts. This study aimed to investigate the sediment–water partitioning characteristics of PFAS in urban rivers and analyze the hydrochemical causes of this specific feature. We sampled paired water and sediment samples from urban rivers in a reclaimed water irrigation area in Beijing City. The average total PFAS concentrations in the river water and sediment were 28.44 ± 16.37 ng/L and 6.41 ± 4.20 ng/g dw, respectively. Short-chain PFAS from C4 to C6 and PFCA congeners dominated in the water, while long-chain PFAS above C8 and PFSA congeners dominated in the sediment. The average sediment–water ratio (Log Kd) of PFAS at each site showed an increasing trend with chain length, and was generally higher than that observed in seawater, natural rivers, and lakes, indicating a specific sediment–water partitioning behavior of PFAS in urban rivers. This difference is likely due to the distinct hydrochemical characteristics of the urban rivers, where elevated TDS, the presence of surfactants, and the coexistence of multiple heavy metal ions collectively promote PFAS adsorption onto suspended particulate matter and enhance their accumulation in sediments through sedimentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Transport, Transformation and Effect of Pollutants)
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17 pages, 888 KB  
Article
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Legacy and Emerging PFAS in Oilfield Environments: Occurrence, Source, and Toxicity Assessment
by Xuefeng Sun
Toxics 2026, 14(2), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14020116 - 26 Jan 2026
Viewed by 699
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals used in daily life and industrial production. Due to their widespread use, these compounds are frequently detected in environmental samples. Many studies have shown that PFAS pose a significant threat to [...] Read more.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals used in daily life and industrial production. Due to their widespread use, these compounds are frequently detected in environmental samples. Many studies have shown that PFAS pose a significant threat to both ecological environments and human health, leading to widespread public concern. This study developed and optimized an analytical method for the detection of 32 common PFAS compounds in chemical additives and environmental samples, including oil displacement agents, groundwater and soil, utilizing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS) technology. Applications in an eastern Chinese oilfield revealed significant PFAS accumulation, with ∑PFAS concentrations in groundwater and soil at the well site ranging from 212.29 to 262.80 ng/L and from 23.70 to 71.65 ng/g, respectively, exceeding background levels by 10-fold. The oil displacement agents used in oilfields are one of the important sources of PFAS, particularly p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzenesulfonate (OBS), a perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) substitute. Soil analysis indicated greater mobility of short-chain PFAS, while long-chain compounds adsorbed more readily to surface layers. Molecular docking and quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) modeling suggest that the bioaccumulation potential of OBS is high and comparable to that of PFOS. Zebrafish embryo assays demonstrated that OBS induced significant concentration-dependent cardiac developmental toxicity, including pericardial edema and apoptosis, showing 1.5–2.4 times greater toxicity than PFOS across multiple endpoints. These findings reveal OBS as a pervasive contaminant with elevated environmental and health risks, necessitating urgent re-evaluation of its use as a PFOS substitute. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Transport, Transformation and Effect of Pollutants)
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18 pages, 3262 KB  
Article
Toxic Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticide Imidacloprid and Polystyrene Microplastics on Rat Neuroblastoma B104 Cells
by Tao Wang, Gulijiazi Yeerkenbieke, Yun Yang, Shuai Shi and Xiaoxia Lu
Toxics 2025, 13(12), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13121060 - 7 Dec 2025
Viewed by 922
Abstract
Imidacloprid (IMI) and polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) are common environmental pollutants, posing potential risks to ecosystems and human health. However, there is limited research on their toxic effects on nerve cells, particularly under combined exposure conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the toxic effects [...] Read more.
Imidacloprid (IMI) and polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) are common environmental pollutants, posing potential risks to ecosystems and human health. However, there is limited research on their toxic effects on nerve cells, particularly under combined exposure conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the toxic effects of IMI and PS-MPs alone and in combination on rat neuroblastoma B104 cells. Based on a cell viability assay (48 h), the No Observed Adverse Effect Levels of IMI and PS-MPs were 260 mg/L and <150 mg/L, respectively. To study their effects on the cholinergic system and oxidative stress, similar concentrations of IMI (2.6, 26, 260 mg/L) and PS-MPs (3, 30, 300 mg/L), alone and in combination, were exposed to B104 cells for 48 h. The results showed that IMI alone decreased acetylcholine (ACh) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) contents, PS-MPs alone increased ACh and AChE contents, and under the combined condition, the effect of PS-MPs predominated over IMI. Both IMI and PS-MPs alone decreased the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG), indicating oxidative stress, and under the combined condition, the ratio of GSH/GSSG decreased more, but were less than the sum of the decreases that were observed under treatment by both compounds alone. The combined exposure exhibited antagonistic effects on all endpoints. Results of this study provides a scientific basis for the environmental risk assessment of microplastics and neonicotinoid pesticides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Transport, Transformation and Effect of Pollutants)
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