Understanding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS): Interdisciplinary Insights into Science, Policy, and Lived Experience

Dear Colleagues,

For this Special Issue, we invite scholarly contributions that examine multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) from diverse disciplinary perspectives, including biomedical sciences, law, social sciences, environmental health, and disability studies. MCS is a complex and frequently misunderstood condition, characterized by adverse reactions to low-level chemical exposures. Although it affects a significant and growing segment of the population, MCS remains insufficiently recognized in healthcare systems, public policy, and academic research.

Drawing inspiration from RESILIENCE: The International Conference on MCS, for this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, and critical commentaries that will expand our understanding of MCS’s prevalence, pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnostic challenges, and environmental determinants. Submissions may also explore legal and policy dimensions, including human rights, accessibility, and the duty to accommodate individuals with MCS, as well as qualitative investigations rooted in lived experiences.

By fostering dialogue among researchers, clinicians, legal scholars, policymakers, advocates, and those directly impacted by MCS, this Special Issue will fill in existing knowledge gaps, challenge persistent stigma, and promote evidence-informed responses that advance equity and inclusion. Our aim is to elevate both the scientific legitimacy and the human experience of MCS, encouraging a more critical and compassionate rethinking of how multiple chemical sensitivity is understood and addressed in contemporary society.

Dr. Caroline Barakat
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 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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 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 2500 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.