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Water
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Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology: Characteristics, Risks and Strategies
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Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology: Characteristics, Risks and Strategies

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 1175

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kai Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Macao Environmental Research Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao 999078, China
Interests: emerging chemicals of concern; microplastics; marine pollution; environmental behaviors; risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yaru Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
Interests: human exposure; health effects; environmental behaviors; environmental risk as-sessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine pollution is a pervasive environmental issue with far-reaching impacts on marine ecosystems and human health. The proliferation of pollutants such as plastics, heavy metals, and emerging contaminants in marine environments necessitates urgent and comprehensive research to understand their sources, distribution, and ecological effects. Studying marine pollution and ecotoxicology is crucial because these pollutants disrupt marine life, causing physiological, biochemical, and behavioral changes that can cascade through food webs, ultimately affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Furthermore, pollutants pose significant risks to human health through seafood consumption and recreational activities.

The aim of this Special Issue, “Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology: Characteristics, Risks and Strategies”, is to publish high-quality papers of original research or review articles addressing, but not limited to, the following topics: (i) the sources, distribution, and transport of marine pollutants, (ii) their ecotoxicological effects on marine organisms and ecosystems, (iii) innovative strategies for pollution control and remediation, and (iv) the development of policies and community-based approaches to mitigate marine pollution. By compiling diverse and interdisciplinary research, this Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive perspective on marine pollution, fostering the development of effective solutions for marine conservation and sustainable coastal management.

Dr. Kai Zhang
Dr. Yaru Cao
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 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

  • pollutants
  • ecotoxicology
  • pollution remediation
  • environmental risk assessment
  • sustainable marine management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 5745 KiB  
Article
Species-Specific Element Accumulation in Mollusc Shells: A Framework for Trace Element-Based Marine Environmental Biomonitoring
by Sergey V. Kapranov, Larisa L. Kapranova, Elena V. Gureeva, Vitaliy I. Ryabushko, Juliya D. Dikareva and Sophia Barinova
Water 2025, 17(16), 2407; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17162407 - 14 Aug 2025
Viewed by 211
Abstract
Mollusc shells serve as valuable biogeochemical archives of natural or anthropogenic processes occurring in the aquatic environment throughout the life of the molluscs. One such process is trace element pollution, which can be assessed by analyzing the elemental composition of mollusc shells. However, [...] Read more.
Mollusc shells serve as valuable biogeochemical archives of natural or anthropogenic processes occurring in the aquatic environment throughout the life of the molluscs. One such process is trace element pollution, which can be assessed by analyzing the elemental composition of mollusc shells. However, different mollusc species accumulate elements in their shells from the aquatic environment at varying concentrations, and specific patterns of this accumulation remain largely unknown. In the present study, we measured the concentrations of 33 elements in the shells of five commercially important Black Sea molluscs, all collected from the same site, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The species were ranked according to the number of elements with the highest concentrations in their shells as follows: Crassostrea gigas (9) = Rapana venosa (9) = Anadara kagoshimensis (9) > Flexopecten glaber ponticus (4) > Mytilus galloprovincialis (2). Cluster analysis of Pearson’s coefficients of correlation of elemental concentrations in the molluscan shells revealed significant separation of C. gigas, F. glaber ponticus, and M. galloprovincialis. Multivariate ordination analyses allowed the accurate classification of >92.3% of shell samples using as few as four elements (Fe, As, Sr, and I). Linear discriminant analysis revealed the probability of separation of all species based on the concentrations of these elements in their shells being not lower than 79%. The applied multivariate approach based on the analysis of four base elements in shells can help not only in the taxonomic identification of molluscs, but also, upon appropriate calibration, in monitoring medium-term dynamics of trace elements in the aquatic environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology: Characteristics, Risks and Strategies)
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45 pages, 5732 KiB  
Article
Tracing Heavy Metal Pollution in the Romanian Black Sea: A Multi-Matrix Study of Contaminant Profiles and Ecological Risk Across the Continental Shelf and Beyond
by Andra Oros, Dragos Marin, Gulten Reiz and Robert Daniel Nenita
Water 2025, 17(16), 2406; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17162406 - 14 Aug 2025
Viewed by 301
Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive six-year assessment (2018–2023) of heavy metal contamination in the Romanian Black Sea sector, integrating data from seawater, surface sediments, and benthic mollusks. Sampling was conducted across a broad spatial gradient, including transitional, coastal, shelf, and offshore waters beyond [...] Read more.
This study provides a comprehensive six-year assessment (2018–2023) of heavy metal contamination in the Romanian Black Sea sector, integrating data from seawater, surface sediments, and benthic mollusks. Sampling was conducted across a broad spatial gradient, including transitional, coastal, shelf, and offshore waters beyond 200 m depth. Concentrations of six potentially toxic metals, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and cobalt (Co), were measured to evaluate regional variability, potential sources, and ecological implications. Results indicate some exceedances of regulatory thresholds for Cd and Pb in transitional and coastal waters, associated with Danube River input and coastal pressures. Seabed substrate analysis revealed widespread enrichment in Ni, moderate levels of Cr, and sporadic Cd elevation in Danube-influenced areas, along with localized hotspots of Cu and Pb near port and industrial zones. Biological uptake patterns in mollusks (bivalves Mytilus galloprovincialis and Anadara inequivalvis and gastropod Rapana venosa) highlighted Cd among key metals of concern, with elevated Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) and Biota–Sediment Accumulation Factor (BAF). Offshore waters generally exhibited lower pollution levels. However, isolated exceedances, such as Cr outliers recorded in 2022, suggest that deep-sea inputs from atmospheric or maritime sources may be both episodic in nature and underrecognized due to limited monitoring coverage. The combined use of water, sediment, and biota data emphasize the strength of multi-matrix approaches in marine pollution evaluation, revealing persistent nearshore pressures and less predictable offshore anomalies. These findings contribute to a more complete understanding of heavy metal distribution in the northwestern Black Sea and provide a scientific basis for improving long-term environmental monitoring and risk management strategies in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology: Characteristics, Risks and Strategies)
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