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Journals
Toxics
Special Issues
Ecotoxicology of Emerging Contaminants in the Water Environment
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Ecotoxicology of Emerging Contaminants in the Water Environment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 May 2026 | Viewed by 1606

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Roberta Bettinetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory (DISUIT), University of Insubria, 20900 Como, Italy
Interests: ecotoxicology; freshwater; contaminants; ecotoxicity tests; risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ginevra Boldrocchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory (DISUIT), University of Insubria, 20900 Como, Italy
Interests: ecotoxicology; marine pollution; elasmobranchs; zooplakton; trace metals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging contaminants (ECs)—microplastics, pharmaceutical residues, pesticides, heavy metals, surfactants, industrial chemicals, and organic pollutants—have become a focus of scientific inquiry because they are now detected virtually everywhere in aquatic systems and may threaten living organisms. Although state-of-the-art analytical techniques have widened global monitoring of these substances in various water matrices, more consolidated information is still required on their prevalence, relevant regulations, treatment options and potential health implications.

In this volume, we aim to collect contributions that will further characterize this issue by addressing: (i) the current regulatory frameworks in different countries; (ii) available analytical methodologies; (iii) the assessment of concentrations in water and, where relevant, in other environmental matrices; and (iv) the potential effects on organisms across food webs.

Prof. Dr. Roberta Bettinetti
Dr. Ginevra Boldrocchi
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

  • ecotoxicology
  • marine pollution
  • elasmobranchs
  • zooplankton
  •  trace metals
  • freshwater
  • contaminants
  • plastic pollution
  • emerging contaminants
  • legacy contaminants

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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12 pages, 1231 KB  
Article
High-Resolution Detection of Microplastics in Zooplankton from Lake Como (Northern Italy): A Multi-Year Baseline for Large Deep Lakes
by Benedetta Villa, Gaia Bolla, Ginevra Boldrocchi and Roberta Bettinetti
Toxics 2026, 14(4), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040342 - 19 Apr 2026
Viewed by 293
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants in freshwater ecosystems, yet their ingestion by zooplankton remains poorly documented in large European lakes. This study provides the first evidence of MPs in zooplankton from Lake Como (Northern Italy), a major subalpine lake of ecological and socioeconomic [...] Read more.
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants in freshwater ecosystems, yet their ingestion by zooplankton remains poorly documented in large European lakes. This study provides the first evidence of MPs in zooplankton from Lake Como (Northern Italy), a major subalpine lake of ecological and socioeconomic relevance. Using high-resolution digital microscopy (detection limit: 2 µm), we quantified MPs across four sampling years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2025), capturing small size fractions typically overlooked by conventional methods. MPs were consistently detected, with mean concentrations of 0.06 ± 0.08 MPs ind.−1 and 1.14 ± 1.22 MPs mg−1 d.w., values comparable to those reported for freshwater zooplankton worldwide. No significant differences were observed between the lake’s two main branches, supporting a lake-wide interpretation of exposure. Clear seasonal patterns emerged, with higher MPs loads in autumn and winter. These findings highlight the potential for MPs to enter pelagic food webs and contribute to a lake-wide baseline for future harmonized monitoring and polymer-specific assessments. The main limitation of this study is the exclusive quantitative approach, which does not provide qualitative information on polymer composition. Overall, these results underscore the need to integrate zooplankton-based monitoring into freshwater microplastic risk assessment frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecotoxicology of Emerging Contaminants in the Water Environment)
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19 pages, 1899 KB  
Article
Occurrence of Pharmaceuticals in the Seawater Samples of the Port of Cartagena (Murcia, Spain): A Pilot Study
by Elena Badillo, María Teresa Yuste, Fernando Vallejo, Elisa Escudero, Amnart Poapolathep, Saranya Poapolathep and Pedro Marín
Toxics 2026, 14(3), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14030217 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 998
Abstract
The growing occurrence of emerging contaminants, particularly pharmaceutical residues, in aquatic environments represents a major environmental concern worldwide. While pharmaceutical contamination has been increasingly studied in marine systems, port environments remain largely understudied despite their complex anthropogenic pressures. This study investigates the occurrence, [...] Read more.
The growing occurrence of emerging contaminants, particularly pharmaceutical residues, in aquatic environments represents a major environmental concern worldwide. While pharmaceutical contamination has been increasingly studied in marine systems, port environments remain largely understudied despite their complex anthropogenic pressures. This study investigates the occurrence, spatial distribution, and potential environmental risk of pharmaceutical residues in surface waters of the port of Cartagena, a multifunctional port on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Fifteen pharmaceuticals were analysed across nine sampling sites, of which six were not detected. Diclofenac and several antibiotics (erythromycin, azithromycin, clindamycin, and trimethoprim) were the most frequently detected compounds, reaching maximum concentrations of up to 12,294.1 ng/L. Elevated concentrations were observed at sites associated with intense human activity, while the detection of multiple pharmaceuticals at a designated Special Area of Conservation suggests additional diffuse pollution sources, likely linked to insufficient wastewater management in nearby informal settlements. Most detected concentrations exceeded established environmental-quality or risk-threshold values, indicating a potential threat to marine ecosystems. These findings highlight the vulnerability of port environments to pharmaceutical pollution and underscore the need for continuous monitoring programs to support effective environmental management and biodiversity protection in coastal port areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecotoxicology of Emerging Contaminants in the Water Environment)
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