Environmental Toxicology and Human Health—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental contamination has now become a major global issue with adverse effects on our health and food security. Humans and animals are being exposed to debilitating levels of contamination every day. Worldwide, air pollution causes millions of premature deaths annually, which are mainly caused by lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, heart failure, and respiratory infections. Moreover, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 99% of humankind breathes air containing contaminants above the recommended levels. The United Nations has identified “a pollution-free planet” goal among its three pillars, in addition to climate change and biodiversity, for 2022–2025. To mitigate contamination and relieve the burden of pollution-related disease, we need to devise target-specific strategies. To that end, risk assessments of each chemical and natural contaminant and solid evidence from toxicity studies are of paramount importance. Meticulous efforts should be made to look into the possible mechanisms of action for each pollutant and detect their toxic potential and safe limits through in vitro approaches and comprehensive in vivo animal testing. Indeed, this topic will include environmental pollutants (such as heavy metals, pesticides, nanoparticles, micro-nanoplastics, indoor air pollutants, pharmaceuticals, and industrial toxicants) and their human health effects, risk assessments, the relationship of various diseases, and environmental pollutants. Human exposure to environmental pollutants may cause adverse effects such as neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity, infertility, and metabolic disorders. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and opinion pieces related to the proposed focus area. 

Prof. Dr. Esref Demir
Prof. Dr. Sam Kacew
Topic Editors