water-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Exposure, Ecological Effects and Risk Assessment of Emerging Contaminants in Water Environment

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2025 | Viewed by 916

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Interests: effect-directed analysis; non-targeted screening; emerging pollutants; risk assessment; combined pollution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Synthetic chemicals have greatly benefited human life and society development. However, the continuous release of chemicals into the aquatic environment poses great threats to ecosystems and human health. Therefore, it is crucial to advance our knowledge and methodologies regarding the exposure and risk of contaminants in water to manage their risks.

In light of this, this Special Issue will explore the latest advances in methodologies, technologies, and applications in the fields of the exposure, ecological effects, and risk assessment of emerging contaminants in the water environment. We request contributions that present innovative approaches, including the use of non-targeted screening, effect-directed analysis, bioassay batteries, transcriptomes, metabolomes, etc., to better understand and address the challenges posed by emerging contaminants in water.

The topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Advances in monitoring techniques and tools for identifying emerging contaminants, including high-coverage enrichment, in situ enrichment equipment, suspect- and non-targeted screening, and effect-directed analysis;
  2. Integration of in vitro tests, transcriptomes, and metabolomes to evaluate the ecological effects of emerging contaminants in the water environment;
  3. Revealing the exposure and effect status of emerging contaminants in different water environments at various spatial and temporal scales;
  4. Integration of chemical and bioassay data for comprehensive risk assessment;
  5. Exploration of the role of natural factors and human activities involved in altering exposure patterns and risks.

We encourage the submission of original research articles, reviews, case studies, and technical notes that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of the exposure and risk assessment of emerging contaminants in the water environment.

Dr. Jing Guo
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 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. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • emerging contaminants
  • non-targeted screening
  • effect-directed analysis
  • high-throughput bioassay
  • ecological risk

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 4983 KiB  
Article
Assessment of per Capita Contribution to Fecal Sewage in Rural Residences of Quilombola Communities
by Adivânia Cardoso da Silva, Paulo Sérgio Scalize and António Albuquerque
Water 2025, 17(9), 1350; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17091350 - 30 Apr 2025
Abstract
The universalization of basic sanitation remains a challenge. For the development of sanitation infrastructure projects, it is essential to use water consumption data that accurately reflect reality, ensuring greater precision. This study aimed to determine the per capita contribution to fecal sewage (Cp) [...] Read more.
The universalization of basic sanitation remains a challenge. For the development of sanitation infrastructure projects, it is essential to use water consumption data that accurately reflect reality, ensuring greater precision. This study aimed to determine the per capita contribution to fecal sewage (Cp) in six quilombola residences in Goiás (Brazil). The research was conducted in two phases: (a) a literature review on Cp in similar communities (CpL) and (b) the determination of Cp in six residences from different rural communities (CpP), varying in the number of inhabitants (8, 8, 5, 2, 1, and 1 persons in households R1 to R6, respectively). Flow measurements were obtained using a volumetric flowmeter (nominal flow rate of 1.5 m3/h) installed in the water pipeline supplying the toilet(s) of each household. A dearth of Cp data was observed in the literature, particularly for rural areas. Research on this topic remains in its infancy, as evidenced by the small number of publications (nine papers) published between 2006 and 2022, of which 44.4% reported on-site measurements. In the present study, the CpP ranged from 12.10 L/cap.day to 21.79 L/cap.day, with a mean of 16.22 L/cap.day (CV = 0.239). These calculated values lie within the lower (9.9 L/cap.day) and upper (51.5 L/cap.day) ranges reported in the literature. Generally, estimated data are higher than values calculated from flowrate measurements, highlighting the importance of direct measurements—which can also help reduce construction costs. Therefore, it is recommended that flowrate measurements and Cp calculations be expanded to residences with diverse demographic and geographic characteristics, also incorporating meteorological data, to obtain more accurate results. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 9591 KiB  
Review
Automation Systems in Pb Analysis: A Review on Environmental Water and Biological Samples
by Rogelio Rodríguez-Maese, Verónica Rodríguez-Saldaña and Luz O. Leal
Water 2025, 17(4), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17040565 - 15 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 585
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is one of the most relevant contaminants due to its high toxicity, even at low concentrations. The growing need for research about real-time Pb analysis in the field has driven advancements in portable, sensitive, and automated analytical methodologies. These innovations are [...] Read more.
Lead (Pb) is one of the most relevant contaminants due to its high toxicity, even at low concentrations. The growing need for research about real-time Pb analysis in the field has driven advancements in portable, sensitive, and automated analytical methodologies. These innovations are crucial for taking proactive measures against the impacts of Pb pollution on ecosystems and public health. Flow analysis techniques have proven to be very effective in automating procedures for isolating and preconcentrating Pb in surface water and biological samples. Such automation boosts sample throughput and reduces processing time and reagent consumption, aligning with the green chemistry principles by lowering costs and minimizing waste. This review covers 31 recent automated analytical methodologies employing flow analysis techniques such as FIA, SIA, MSFIA, and LOV, emphasizing the trend toward portability and miniaturization, which facilitates in-situ analysis. Additionally, this review examines the pretreatment methods and detection systems used, highlighting the analytical parameters of each technique. The methodologies discussed demonstrate the capability to process up to 55 samples per hour accurately. Limits of quantification as low as 0.014 µg L−1 are reported, enabling environmental monitoring that effectively detects Pb concentrations below the WHO and EPA drinking water reference values of 10 µg L−1 and 15 µg L−1, respectively. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop