About this Research Topic
The environmental contamination by several new contaminants such as microplastics, pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials, persistent organic pollutants, and other emerging compounds, has recently become more severe and complicated. Chronic exposure to a polluted environment has negative biological effects on the growth and reproduction of plants, animals, and microorganisms. To control and dispose of contaminants throughout the entire process, it is critical to fully understand the biogeochemical behaviours and biological responses of these emerging contaminants.
Microorganisms, thanks to their great metabolic versatility, can degrade contaminants existing in various ecosystems, including soil, water, and sediments, and perhaps result in self-purification abilities. As a result, it is critical to investigate the richness and community structure of microorganisms, as well as the efficiency and mechanism of contaminant degradation, for microbial remediation of polluted environments. Furthermore, with the advancement of molecular biology techniques, microbiology research has entered the multi-omics era. Metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have all been widely used in environmental microbiology research. The great potential of microorganisms in the treatment of soil and sediment pollution should be better understood, developed, and applied using cutting-edge research approaches.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscript submissions on any aspect of the microbial response to emerging contaminants, including new microbial pollution and remediation. Research on the occurrence, fate, risks and microbial metabolic mechanisms for emerging contaminants is also encouraged. Subtopics that can be discussed include, but are not limited to:
• The occurrence, migration, transformation, and fate of environmental contaminants under microbial response in soil and sediment ecosystems;
• The occurrence, migration, transformation, and fate of emerging contaminants in soil or sediment;
• Ecological exposure, ecotoxicity, and risks of environmental emerging contaminants to soil or sediment microorganisms;
• Microbial degradation mechanisms and their efficiency for emerging contaminants in soils or sediment;
• The influence of microorganisms on the biogeochemical behaviour of environmental contaminants.
Microorganisms, thanks to their great metabolic versatility, can degrade contaminants existing in various ecosystems, including soil, water, and sediments, and perhaps result in self-purification abilities. As a result, it is critical to investigate the richness and community structure of microorganisms, as well as the efficiency and mechanism of contaminant degradation, for microbial remediation of polluted environments. Furthermore, with the advancement of molecular biology techniques, microbiology research has entered the multi-omics era. Metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have all been widely used in environmental microbiology research. The great potential of microorganisms in the treatment of soil and sediment pollution should be better understood, developed, and applied using cutting-edge research approaches.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscript submissions on any aspect of the microbial response to emerging contaminants, including new microbial pollution and remediation. Research on the occurrence, fate, risks and microbial metabolic mechanisms for emerging contaminants is also encouraged. Subtopics that can be discussed include, but are not limited to:
• The occurrence, migration, transformation, and fate of environmental contaminants under microbial response in soil and sediment ecosystems;
• The occurrence, migration, transformation, and fate of emerging contaminants in soil or sediment;
• Ecological exposure, ecotoxicity, and risks of environmental emerging contaminants to soil or sediment microorganisms;
• Microbial degradation mechanisms and their efficiency for emerging contaminants in soils or sediment;
• The influence of microorganisms on the biogeochemical behaviour of environmental contaminants.
Keywords: soil microbial community, metabolic mechanism, microbial ecotoxicology, ecological risk, risk assessment, emerging contaminants
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
