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Toxics
Special Issues
Effects of Exposure to Emerging Environmental Pollutants on Human Health
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Effects of Exposure to Emerging Environmental Pollutants on Human Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2026) | Viewed by 6429

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Biban Gill

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
Interests: chemical biology; exposure science; persistent organic pollutants; omics; women’s health
Dr. Amith Maroli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
Interests: analytical chemistry; novel pollutants; exposure biology; PFAS biotoxicity
Dr. Kelsi Perttula

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Public Health, California State University East Bay, Hayward, CA 94542, USA
Interests: environmental health; molecular epidemiology; air pollution
Dr. Lauren Petrick

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-5674, USA
Interests: metabolomics; metabolic health; analytical chemistry; women’s health; cancer metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

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 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

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

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 49234 KB  
Article
Global Mapping of Population Exposure to Upstream Gas Flaring Using Integrated VIIRS Nightfire and GHSL Data, 2016–2023, with Projections to 2030
by Sotiris Zikas, Christos Christakis, Loukas-Moysis Misthos, Ioannis Psomadakis, Angeliki I. Katsafadou, Ioannis Tsilikas, George C. Fthenakis, Vasilis Vasiliou and Yiannis Kiouvrekis
Toxics 2025, 13(12), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13121053 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 2322
Abstract
Gas flaring from upstream oil and gas production remains a significant source of air pollution and toxic emissions, with major implications for human health and climate. However, the number of people living near flaring has not been quantified globally. This study presents the [...] Read more.
Gas flaring from upstream oil and gas production remains a significant source of air pollution and toxic emissions, with major implications for human health and climate. However, the number of people living near flaring has not been quantified globally. This study presents the first worldwide, settlement-scale assessment of populations living within 1 km and 3 km of active upstream flare sites between 2016 and 2023, with projections to 2030. Using the VIIRS Nightfire satellite product, which provides global detections of high-temperature combustion sources, and the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) population and settlement data, we developed a transparent and reproducible geospatial workflow to compute proximity-based exposure indicators by buffering flare locations and intersecting them with population rasters The analysis provides consistent estimates across five settlement categories: rural, peri-urban/suburban, semi-dense urban, dense urban, and urban centres. The VIIRS-based flaring time series combined with GHSL projections allows us to estimate how many people are likely to live near upstream flares under current flaring patterns by 2030. Results show that exposure is concentrated in a few oil-producing countries. Nigeria remains the most affected, with over 100,000 urban residents exposed in 2023. India and Pakistan dominate peri-urban and semi-urban exposures, while Indonesia and Iraq persist as multi-settlement hotspots. Although moderate declines are observed in China and Iran, little progress is evident in Nigeria, Mexico, and Indonesia. Projections for 2030 suggest exposure will increase substantially, driven by population growth and urban expansion, with about 2.7 million people living within 1 km and 14.8 million within 3 km of flaring sites. The findings establish the first globally consistent baseline for population exposure to gas flaring, supporting the monitoring and mitigation objectives of the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Exposure to Emerging Environmental Pollutants on Human Health)
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19 pages, 1782 KB  
Article
Unexpected High Blood Lead Levels in a Remote Indigenous Community in the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon
by Pedro Mayor, Guillem Rius-Taberner, Gabriela M. Ulloa and Martí Orta-Martínez
Toxics 2025, 13(10), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13100826 - 27 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2053
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that Pb-based ammunition could be an important route of Pb exposure for Indigenous Peoples in tropical rainforests. We analyzed blood lead levels (BLL) and isotopic signatures in 111 humans, 97 wild animals, 81 fish, and potential environmental Pb sources in [...] Read more.
Recent studies suggest that Pb-based ammunition could be an important route of Pb exposure for Indigenous Peoples in tropical rainforests. We analyzed blood lead levels (BLL) and isotopic signatures in 111 humans, 97 wild animals, 81 fish, and potential environmental Pb sources in an Indigenous community in the remote and well-preserved Peruvian Amazon with no history of industrial activity. Median BLL was 11.74 μg dL−1, with BLL ≥ 5 µg dL−1 in 95.8% children <12-yo and 94.5% adults. Pb concentrations in wild animals were 7.00 ± 22.40 mg kg−1 DW in liver, 0.06 ± 0.09 mg kg−1 DW in fish muscle tissues, 17.1 ± 10.8 mg kg−1 in soils and 3.4–3.8 mg L−1 in the main river, although 0.43-0.53 mg L−1 were the Pb levels in decanted water used for drinking and cooking. The similarity of isotopic signatures (207/206Pb and 208/206Pb) shows that the main Pb sources for humans are river waters (97.6%) and Pb-based ammunition (78.7%). Fish and wildlife act as Pb transporters from water, and wildlife act as Pb transporter from ammunition. Evidence of high human BLL in a remote, non-industrialized Amazonian area demonstrates the urgency of designing regional policies that include health prevention measures, focused on drinking water filtration systems and the use of non-toxic, Pb-free ammunitions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Exposure to Emerging Environmental Pollutants on Human Health)
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Review

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21 pages, 4670 KB  
Review
Toxicological Effects and Health Impacts of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Humans
by Jie Ma, Ge Gao, Bitan Meng, Xinni Wei, Long Zhao and Zaiming Ge
Toxics 2026, 14(5), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14050374 - 26 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1292
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals notable for their high persistence and extensive applications. With the advancement of detection technologies in recent years, PFAS have been frequently identified in environmental media and human biological samples, raising significant global [...] Read more.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals notable for their high persistence and extensive applications. With the advancement of detection technologies in recent years, PFAS have been frequently identified in environmental media and human biological samples, raising significant global concerns about their potential health risks. PFAS exhibit distinctive toxicokinetic behaviors, including efficient absorption, strong protein binding, limited metabolism, and slow excretion, which lead to prolonged biological half-lives and considerable bioaccumulation in humans. These properties contribute to a range of adverse health outcomes, such as endocrine disruption, immune suppression, liver damage, reproductive toxicity, carcinogenic potential, and cardiovascular disease. This review synthesizes evidence on PFAS-associated health risks from a multisystem, multitarget perspective, elucidating the key molecular pathways involved, thereby providing a scientific basis for understanding their complex toxicological effects and for developing targeted prevention and control strategies. Future research should prioritize characterizing the toxicological profiles of individual PFAS compounds, evaluating the health impacts of combined (mixture) exposures, and assessing risks associated with chronic, low-dose exposure to support the development of public health strategies and regulatory decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Exposure to Emerging Environmental Pollutants on Human Health)
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