Environmental Exposures, Disasters, and Population Health: Epidemiology and Evaluation

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental disasters, such as industrial accidents (e.g., chemical plant explosions and tailings dam failures), major chemical spills, and wildfires, release massive pollutants into the environment, leading to severe and lasting impacts on ecosystem and population health. Beyond these acute events, chronic pollution from ongoing industrial emissions and historical contamination also poses significant long-term health risks. Current research challenges include understanding the environmental behavior and human exposure pathways of contaminants and accurately assessing health risks across different exposure scenarios.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Topic, which focuses on the intersection of environmental exposures, environmental disasters, and public health. This Topic aims to gather cutting-edge research that employs epidemiological methods and environmental science techniques to assess exposure levels, quantify health risks, and evaluate intervention strategies in the context of both sudden-onset disasters and lingering contamination.

For this Topic, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

1. Health risk assessment of chronic exposure to pollutants.
2. Localization of exposure parameters.
3. Climate change and public health.
4. Environmental disaster-related exposure and health outcomes.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Kai Yang
Dr. Beibei Wang
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Atmosphere atmosphere	2.3	4.9	2010	19.7 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Environments environments	3.7	5.7	2014	19.2 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ijerph	-	8.5	2004	29.5 Days	CHF 2500	Submit
Pollutants pollutants	-	-	2021	32.8 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	3.3	7.7	2009	17.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Toxics toxics	4.1	6.4	2013	17.8 Days	CHF 2600	Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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All IJERPH Sustainability Atmosphere Environments Toxics Pollutants

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Supplementary material:
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Open AccessArticle

Microplastics Decrease the Toxicity of ¹³⁷Cs in the Zebrafish Embryo-Larva

by Fangni Du, Wenjun Zhao, Shaofei Cao, Rui Zhang and Yuchen Yin

Toxics 2026, 14(4), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040343 - 20 Apr 2026

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Abstract

Large amounts of radionuclides and microplastics (MPs) have been released and will continue to be discharge into the environment. They will exist and interact in the aquatic environment over extended periods. However, the toxicological risks associated with their co-exposure remain poorly understood. In [...] Read more.

Large amounts of radionuclides and microplastics (MPs) have been released and will continue to be discharge into the environment. They will exist and interact in the aquatic environment over extended periods. However, the toxicological risks associated with their co-exposure remain poorly understood. In this study, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to ¹³⁷Cs (6.8 × 10⁴ Bq/L) in combination with 9.9 μm polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs, 10, 100 μg/L) for 7 days. Early developmental growth was significantly influenced in the ¹³⁷Cs-exposed groups. This was evidenced by delayed hatching, increased swimming total distance, and anxiety behavior (increasing swimming distance in the inner circle). Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that a higher number of differentially expressed genes were found in the ¹³⁷Cs group compared to other exposure groups. In ¹³⁷Cs groups, KEGG enrichment analysis highlighted significant disruptions in lipid metabolism pathways. ¹³⁷Cs can influence its neuro-related genes by inducing lipid metabolism toxicity, providing a mechanistic explanation for the observed locomotory abnormalities in larvae. Interestingly, during the early stage of development, MPs appeared to reduce the internal irradiation dose and toxic effect by absorbing the ¹³⁷Cs. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the ecological risks posed by combined exposure to ¹³⁷Cs and MPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Exposures, Disasters, and Population Health: Epidemiology and Evaluation)

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18 pages, 1479 KB  

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Study on the Difference in the Contribution of Soil Particle Sizes to Heavy Metal Exposure of Children Around Smelting Area

by Ran Li, Jingzhi Yu, Xiaoli Duan, Beibei Wang, Dekang Liu, Liwen Zhang, Kai Yang and Hongguang Cheng

Toxics 2026, 14(3), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14030253 - 12 Mar 2026

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Abstract

This study focused on children residing near a smelter in Baiyin, and investigated the impact mechanism of different soil particle sizes on children’s exposure to heavy metals. By analyzing the distribution pattern of concentrations and bioaccessibilities of typical heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, [...] Read more.

This study focused on children residing near a smelter in Baiyin, and investigated the impact mechanism of different soil particle sizes on children’s exposure to heavy metals. By analyzing the distribution pattern of concentrations and bioaccessibilities of typical heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb) across four particle size fractions (<63 μm, 63–150 μm, 150–250 μm, 250–352 μm), and incorporating the size-selective adherence characteristics of children’s hand-loaded dust, this research quantitatively assessed the contribution of each particle size fraction to children’s health risks from oral exposure. The results showed that fine particle size soil (<63 μm) exhibited both higher concentration and bioaccessibility of heavy metals, which were 1.3–1.9 times and 1.1–2.2 times higher, respectively, than those of the coarsest fraction (250–352 μm). The proportion of particles < 63 μm in children’s hand-loaded dust (64.3%) was significantly higher than that in ambient soil, demonstrating selective adherence towards finer particles during children’s exposure. Due to the particle size-selective effects on metal concentration, bioaccessibility, and actual child exposure, fine soil particles constituted the primary source of heavy metal exposure risk via oral ingestion in children. Soil particles with a size of <63 μm contributed 48–60% to the total exposure risk of the five heavy metals. Therefore, in the health risk assessment of soil around smelting plants, the influence of particle size on the occurrence characteristics of metals, bioaccessibility, and children’s actual exposure behavior should be considered concurrently to enhance the accuracy and targetability of assessment and control measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Exposures, Disasters, and Population Health: Epidemiology and Evaluation)

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23 pages, 2766 KB  

Open AccessArticle

The Toxic Effects of Hydrated Cement, Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, and Demolition Dusts on the Respiratory System in Rats

by Murat Kilic, Nurcan Gokturk, Nigar Vardi, Onural Ozhan, Gokce Koca, Mehmet Akif Turkoz, Merve Biyikli, Paki Turgut, Yusuf Turkoz, Hakan Parlakpinar, Eylem Karadag and Cemil Colak

Toxics 2026, 14(3), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14030218 - 3 Mar 2026

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Abstract

Background: Following the earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye in 2023, the resulting demolition dust (DD) negatively impacted air quality and led to an increase in respiratory diseases. Although the harmful effects of crystalline and amorphous silica are known, the effects of hydrated cement [...] Read more.

Background: Following the earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye in 2023, the resulting demolition dust (DD) negatively impacted air quality and led to an increase in respiratory diseases. Although the harmful effects of crystalline and amorphous silica are known, the effects of hydrated cement dust (HCD), autoclaved aerated concrete dust (AACD), and DD on the lungs have not been sufficiently investigated. This rat study presents the first experimental data on the toxicity of these dusts. Methods: In the study, the structural properties of dust particles smaller than 5 µm were characterized using XRD analysis. Subsequently, 48 female rats were divided into four groups: HCD, AACD, DD, and control. The relevant dust suspensions were administered to the experimental groups, and physiological saline was administered to the control group intranasally a total of five times over a 15-day period, once every 3 days. Subsequently, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, blood, and lung tissues were analyzed. Results: An increase in emphysema was observed in all exposure groups, and this increase was significant in the AAC and HC groups. Inflammation and alveolar wall thickness increased in the HC and DD groups. Goblet cell hyperplasia was detected only in the HC group; increases in CD68⁺ macrophages and TGF-β, as well as elevated hydroxyproline, were detected only in the DD group and supported the fibrotic response (p < 0.05). Neutrophil increase was specific to the AAC group. In all exposure groups, Akt/NF-κB pathway proteins, caspase-9, and MPO levels increased, while Bcl-xl levels decreased (p < 0.05). The findings indicate that the examined dusts trigger inflammation and apoptosis. Conclusion: Exposure to HCD, AACD, and DD causes lung damage by modulating the Akt/NF-κB signaling cascade; it enhances the apoptotic process through Bcl-xl suppression and caspase-9 increase. DD also induces a marked fibrotic response. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Exposures, Disasters, and Population Health: Epidemiology and Evaluation)

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