Environmental Risk Assessment and Control of Emerging Contaminants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2024 | Viewed by 4033

Special Issue Editors

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Interests: emerging contaminants; environmental toxicology; environmental chemical process; water ecology; environmental microorganisms; microplastics; artificial nanomaterials; biofilms; activated sludge

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Guest Editor
1. Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
2. College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: water environment system planning theory and method; river and lake water pollution management and ecological restoration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of emerging contaminants is an outlet for world-leading researchers to address problems associated with environmental contamination caused by emerging contaminants and their solutions.

Emerging contaminants are synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals or any microorganisms that are not commonly monitored in the environment but have the potential to enter the environment. They are usually accompanied by trace amounts, are difficult to degrade, have persistent properties, etc., and cause known or suspected adverse ecological and/or human health effects. Currently, there is no international consensus on the classification of emerging contaminants; in general, endocrine disruptors (EDCs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), drinking water disinfection byproducts, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), artificial nanomaterials, and microplastics all fall into this category. Studies have shown that these emerging pollutants have been detected in various environmental media (soil, air, and water) and even in living organisms to a greater or lesser extent. They also include endocrine-disrupting compounds, analgesics, antibiotics, hormones, and a whole range of other pharmaceutical compounds including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-epileptic drugs. The threat lies in the fact that the environmental and human toxicology of most of these compounds has not yet been studied and in the fact that many of these compounds are not or cannot be tested for in the environmental ecosystem. In addition, when these contaminants are transported in the environment, by-products are generated, the chemical properties of which are as yet undetermined. Biological emerging contaminants are discussed, which are also of significant concern. However, technical control measures and innovative governance concepts for emerging pollutants in the environment also need further development and research.

This Special Issue of the Toxics focuses on the current state of knowledge regarding “Environmental Risk Assessment and Control of Emerging Contaminants”. New research papers, reviews, case reports, and conference papers are welcome to be submitted this issue. Papers dealing with new approaches to derive emerging contaminant standards or risk assessment and management are also welcome. Other manuscript types accepted include methodological papers, position papers, brief reports, and commentaries.

We will accept manuscripts from different disciplines including the investigation and distribution of contaminant sources, exposure assessment science, risk and health impact assessment, risk management including toxicology and environmental benchmarks (standards), the environmental process and transformation of contaminants, combined effect and synergistic pollution, etc.

All in all, we encourage papers addressing science that facilitates greater understanding of the nature, extent, and impacts of the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment; technology that exploits original principles to reduce and control their environmental presence; as well as the development, implementation, and efficacy of national and international policies to protect human health and the environment from emerging contaminants.

Dr. Kun Li
Prof. Dr. Jin Qian
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. Toxics 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 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

  • emerging contaminants
  • ecological risk
  • biological effect
  • environmental assessment
  • ecotoxicology
  • control techniques and measures
  • pollution status and sources
  • detection methods and environmental standards
  • environmental benchmarks
  • new techniques

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 3684 KiB  
Article
Elucidating Amendment Resources for Reclaiming Efficacy of Sodic Soils around Abaya and Chamo Lakes, South Ethiopia Rift Valley
by Azmera Walche, Wassie Haile, Alemayehu Kiflu and Dereje Tsegaye
Toxics 2024, 12(4), 265; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics12040265 - 31 Mar 2024
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Abstract
Background: Sodic soils are harmful to agricultural and natural environments in Ethiopia’s semi-arid and arid regions, leading to soil degradation and reduced productivity. This study investigated how amendment resources could help improve the chemical properties of sodic soils around the Abaya and Chamo [...] Read more.
Background: Sodic soils are harmful to agricultural and natural environments in Ethiopia’s semi-arid and arid regions, leading to soil degradation and reduced productivity. This study investigated how amendment resources could help improve the chemical properties of sodic soils around the Abaya and Chamo Lakes in the South Ethiopia Rift Valley. Methods: A factorial experiment was conducted to study the effects of gypsum (GYP) and farmyard manure (FYM) on sodic soil reclamation. The experiment had four levels of GYP (0, 50, 100, and 150%) and four levels of FYM (0, 10, 20, and 30 tons ha−1), with three replications. The pots were incubated for three months and leached for one month, after which soil samples were collected and analyzed for chemical properties. ANOVA was performed to determine the optimal amendment level for sodic soil reclamation. Results: The study found that applying 10 ton FYM ha−1 and gypsum at 100% gypsum required (GR) rate resulted in a 99.8% decrease in exchangeable sodium percentages (ESP) compared to untreated composite sodic soil and a 1.31% reduction over the control (GYP 0% + FYM 0 ton ha−1). As a result, this leads to a decrease in soil electrical conductivity, exchangeable sodium (Ex. Na), and ESP values. The results were confirmed by the LSD test at 0.05. It is fascinating to see how different treatments can have such a significant impact on soil properties. The prediction models indicate that ESP’s sodic soil treatment effect (R2 = 0.95) determines the optimal amendment level for displacing Ex. Na from the exchange site. The best estimator models for ESP using sodic soil treatment levels were ESP = 1.65–0.33 GYP for sole gypsum application and ESP = 1.65–0.33 GYP + 0.28 FYM for combined GYP and FYM application, respectively. Conclusion: The study found that combined GYP and FYM applications reduced ESP to less than 10% in agriculture, but further research is needed to determine their effectiveness at the field level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment and Control of Emerging Contaminants)
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15 pages, 1503 KiB  
Article
Associations between Urinary Mercury/Cadmium Concentrations and Anthropometric Features in Korean Children
by Min Won Shin, Hyo-Bin Kim, Ahreum Kwon, Mi Jung Park and Shin-Hye Kim
Toxics 2024, 12(3), 175; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics12030175 - 24 Feb 2024
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Abstract
Investigating the impact of urinary mercury and cadmium on anthropometric parameters in Korean children is crucial amid growing concerns about heavy metal exposure and childhood growth. Using data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2015–2017), we assessed age- and sex-specific associations of [...] Read more.
Investigating the impact of urinary mercury and cadmium on anthropometric parameters in Korean children is crucial amid growing concerns about heavy metal exposure and childhood growth. Using data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2015–2017), we assessed age- and sex-specific associations of urinary mercury and cadmium with height and body mass index (BMI) z-scores in 1458 children aged 3–5 (n = 571) and 6–11 years (n = 887). Overall, 5.0% had stunted height (3–5 years: 6.9%, 6–11 years: 3.8%), whereas older children exhibited higher overweight/obesity prevalence (29.2%) than younger ones did (22.2%). In 3–5-year-old boys, urinary mercury correlated negatively with height z-scores (p < 0.001), whereas in girls, urinary cadmium correlated positively (p = 0.015). Boys aged 6–11 years showed positive associations between mercury/cadmium levels and BMI z-scores (p = 0.012). Logistic regression indicated associations between urinary mercury and stunted height likelihood (p = 0.001) and between urinary cadmium and reduced overweight likelihood (p = 0.039) in 3–5-year-old boys. In boys aged 6–11 years, urinary cadmium levels were positively associated with overweight likelihood (p = 0.003). This study underscores the link between elevated urinary mercury, cadmium levels, and growth disruptions in Korean children, emphasizing the need for public health strategies for reducing childhood heavy metal exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment and Control of Emerging Contaminants)
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Review

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29 pages, 1203 KiB  
Review
Proposing Effective Ecotoxicity Test Species for Chemical Safety Assessment in East Asia: A Review
by Jin Wuk Lee, Ilseob Shim and Kyunghwa Park
Toxics 2024, 12(1), 30; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics12010030 - 30 Dec 2023
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Abstract
East Asia leads the global chemical industry, but environmental chemical risk in these countries is an emerging concern. Despite this, only a few native species that are representative of East Asian environments are listed as test species in international guidelines compared with those [...] Read more.
East Asia leads the global chemical industry, but environmental chemical risk in these countries is an emerging concern. Despite this, only a few native species that are representative of East Asian environments are listed as test species in international guidelines compared with those native to Europe and America. This review suggests that Zacco platypus, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Hydrilla verticillata, Neocaridina denticulata spp., and Scenedesmus obliquus, all resident to East Asia, are promising test species for ecotoxicity tests. The utility of these five species in environmental risk assessment (ERA) varies depending on their individual traits and the state of ecotoxicity research, indicating a need for different applications of each species according to ERA objectives. Furthermore, the traits of these five species can complement each other when assessing chemical effects under diverse exposure scenarios, suggesting they can form a versatile battery for ERA. This review also analyzes recent trends in ecotoxicity studies and proposes emerging research issues, such as the application of alternative test methods, comparative studies using model species, the identification of specific markers for test species, and performance of toxicity tests under environmentally relevant conditions. The information provided on the utility of the five species and alternative issues in toxicity tests could assist in selecting test species suited to study objectives for more effective ERA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment and Control of Emerging Contaminants)
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