Ecotoxicological Effects of Emerging Pollutants in Aquatic Environments: Methodological Innovation and Theoretical Construction

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging contaminants (ECs) in the water environment include persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, microplastics and other substances. Due to their high biological activity, low-concentration residues and potential persistence, they have become a major threat to aquatic ecological security. Although traditional toxicity testing paradigms and risk assessment frameworks play a fundamental role, they often fail to capture the complex, low-dose and long-term effect characteristics of such contaminants. Aiming at the ecotoxicological effects of these contaminants, current research is driven by dual engines of methodological innovation and theoretical construction, achieving systematic breakthroughs ranging from microscopic molecular mechanisms to macroscopic ecological risks. 

By bringing together novel research approaches such as high-throughput screening, multi-omics integration (including transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics), advanced in vivo and in vitro bioassays as well as various theoretical frameworks, including adverse outcome pathways, mixture toxicity models and population-level risk extrapolation models, this Special Issue seeks to highlight recent advances of ecotoxicological effects of emerging pollutants in methodological innovation and theoretical construction. 

In this Special Issue, original research articles and review papers are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

(I) Ecotoxicological Effect Characteristics of Emerging Contaminants

• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs): They feature high environmental persistence and tend to bioaccumulate in organisms. They mainly induce reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption and hepatotoxicity, impairing the reproduction and growth of aquatic organisms such as fish.
• Microplastics: They cause physical damage (e.g., digestive tract blockage) and chemical toxicity (release of additives or adsorption of other contaminants). Their ecotoxic manifestations include immunotoxicity and genotoxicity, and they may trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in organisms.
• Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs): Even at low concentrations, they can induce antibiotic resistance in aquatic microbial communities, alter microbial ecological structures and [potentially exert cytotoxicity on aquatic algae and invertebrates.
• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs): They interfere with the hormonal systems of aquatic organisms, leading to feminization, reduced fertility and developmental malformations. 

(II) Methodological Innovation: Integration of Cutting-edge Technology and Interdisciplinary Research

• Exploration of toxicological mechanisms at molecular and cellular levels
• Toxicity prediction based on molecular simulation and computational chemistry
• Biological monitoring and simulation of complex environmental behaviors 

(III) Theoretical Construction: Mechanism Interpretation and Risk Benchmarking

Theoretical construction aims to upgrade microscopic toxicity data into systematic mechanistic understanding to support environmental management.

• Establishment of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs)
• Quantitative structure–activity/structure–property relationship theory (QSAR/QSPR)
• Mechanisms of nano-bio interactions of contaminants
• Scientific evaluation theory for water quality criteria

Dr. Chenglian Feng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• emerging contaminants
• aquatic ecosystem
• ecotoxicological effects
• methodological innovation
• theoretical construction