Toxic Pollutants and Ecological Risk in Aquatic Environments

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecotoxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 1320

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: ecotoxicology; micropollutants; organic pollutants; ecological risk; environmental process

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Guest Editor Assistant
Faculty of Resources and Environmental Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
Interests: microplastics; environmental behavior; environmental exposure risks; ecological risk assessment; ecotoxicological

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Guest Editor Assistant
School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
Interests: microplastics; hydrophobic organic pollutants; sorption; combined toxicity; acute toxicity; ecological risk assessment; carbon emission; life cycle assessment; nanoplastics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The release of numerous toxic pollutants into aquatic environments, both intentionally and unintentionally, has raised serious ecological concerns worldwide. These pollutants, which include a wide range of substances from organic and inorganic compounds to nanoparticles, pose significant risks to ecosystems. The investigation of the toxicity of these pollutants is essential for conducting comprehensive ecological risk assessments. However, given the vast number of harmful substances present in aquatic systems, one of the greatest challenges we face today is identifying and prioritizing pollutants that are most detrimental to both the environment and human health. Relying solely on traditional laboratory-based experiments or animal studies is no longer sufficient. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop innovative methods to efficiently screen for typical toxic pollutants and evaluate their ecological risks. Among the most widely recognized organic pollutants are persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), antibiotics, and microplastics. These substances are known for their biotoxicity, environmental persistence, bioaccumulative properties, and widespread presence in aquatic ecosystems, raising concerns over their potential adverse effects on human and environmental health. In addition, heavy metals and other toxic inorganic pollutants also demand increasing attention. This Special Issue seeks to highlight research on the toxicology and ecological risks of key toxic substances in aquatic environments, with a particular emphasis on studies utilizing artificial intelligence, computational methods, and other innovative approaches. We welcome research articles that integrate these advanced methods to tackle complex environmental problems. Areas of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In silico methods for pollutant analysis;
  • Computational toxicology;
  • Screening of pollutants in aquatic environments;
  • Toxicity to aquatic organisms;
  • Combined toxicity effects;
  • Bioaccumulation and biomagnification;
  • Trophic transfer of pollutants;
  • Toxicological interactions;
  • Nanoparticles and their ecological impacts.

We invite original research articles and review papers, and we look forward to your valuable contributions to this exciting and significant topic.

Prof. Dr. Honggang Ni
Guest Editor

Dr. Shuyan Ren
Dr. Qing Sun
Guest Editor Assistants

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • in silico methods for pollutant analysis
  • computational toxicology
  • screening of pollutants in aquatic environments
  • toxicity to aquatic organisms
  • combined toxicity effects
  • bioaccumulation and biomagnification
  • trophic transfer of pollutants
  • toxicological interactions
  • nanoparticles and their ecological impacts

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4316 KiB  
Article
Monitoring the Biodegradation Progress of Naphthenic Acids in the Presence of Spirulina platensis Algae
by Catalina Gabriela Gheorghe, Cristina Maria Dusescu-Vasile, Daniela Roxana Popovici, Dorin Bombos, Raluca Elena Dragomir, Floricel Maricel Dima, Marian Bajan and Gabriel Vasilievici
Toxics 2025, 13(5), 368; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13050368 - 1 May 2025
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Abstract
The experiments in this study investigated the toxicity of naphthenic acids (NAs) on the algal culture Spirulina platensis. The tests monitored the progression of the algal suspension in media contaminated with various concentrations of naphthenic acids. The evolution of the algal culture [...] Read more.
The experiments in this study investigated the toxicity of naphthenic acids (NAs) on the algal culture Spirulina platensis. The tests monitored the progression of the algal suspension in media contaminated with various concentrations of naphthenic acids. The evolution of the algal culture during the metabolism of NAs was investigated. The monitoring also included the determination of the values of some parameters during the biodegradation process (pH, conductivity, cell viability, dissolved oxygen). Optical density measurements (OD600) were used to quantify the growth of Spirulina platensis, alongside the determination of the sedimentation index (IS). Cell viability was assessed microscopically using TEM and optical microscopy. The results facilitated the estimation of the percentage of cell growth inhibition and the inhibitory concentration value, determined by estimating ECb50 (concentration of NAs corresponding to 50% inhibition). The chemical quantification of naphthenic acids in the samples analyzed was performed by calculating the acidity value (AV) and characterizing the naphthenic acids through FTIR analysis. The graphical representation of ECb50 was established by extrapolating to a concentration of 110 mg/mL of naphthenic acids. We have demonstrated that pollution caused by NAs can be mitigated by the algae Spirulina platensis, which can metabolize these compounds and thus biodegrade them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxic Pollutants and Ecological Risk in Aquatic Environments)
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24 pages, 7748 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Use of Diagnostic Genes in Integrated Monitoring with a Laboratory and Field Study on Flounder (Platichthys flesus)
by Michelle C. Giltrap, Michael J. Leaver, Kelly White, James G. Wilson, Atiqur Rahman, Adrian Maguire, Aidan D. Meade, Janina Baršiene and Craig D. Robinson
Toxics 2025, 13(3), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13030203 - 12 Mar 2025
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Abstract
For many years, there has been increasing concern about the effects of the presence of hazardous substances in the environment. The chemical and biological effect (BE) monitoring of these pollutants has proven difficult due to low environmental concentrations, variable bioavailability, and the generalised [...] Read more.
For many years, there has been increasing concern about the effects of the presence of hazardous substances in the environment. The chemical and biological effect (BE) monitoring of these pollutants has proven difficult due to low environmental concentrations, variable bioavailability, and the generalised nature of ecological responses to these substances. The over- or under-expression of key genes has proven to be useful in understanding the molecular mechanisms of the toxicity of contaminants. This study uses a quantitative PCR array to detect the changes in gene expression in flounder livers after exposure to both laboratory- and field-based contaminants. The model contaminants included 17β-estradiol (E2), 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), a commercial mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB, Arochlor), perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA), and lindane. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate relationships between higher-organisational-level biomarkers, supporting parameters, and genes. A scoring system enabled the visualisation of biological effect responses and contaminants in field samples. Although gene expression was useful for inferring the pathways of toxicity in this organism, we recommend that this array be used in combination with existing and recommended higher-level biomarkers and should not be used as a replacement for traditional biomarkers currently used in monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxic Pollutants and Ecological Risk in Aquatic Environments)
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