Emerging Contaminants and Aquatic Ecosystem Health

Aquatic ecosystems form the underpinnings for human survival and development and often serve as vulnerable environmental mediums highly susceptible to interference and pollution resulting from human activities. In recent years, Emerging Contaminants (ECs), which are frequently detected in the water environments, are considered to be a new threat to ecological health, posing potential hazards that simply cannot be overlooked. Although these substances introduce relatively concealed risks to the environment and health, their presence, even in low concentrations, can trigger significant risks and hidden hazards to our physical health, environmental wellness, and safety. ECs do not necessarily refer to newly synthesized substances, but could relate to traditional pollutants that are increasingly detectable due to advances in analysis and detection technologies or the discovery of new toxicological impacts.

This Research Topic intends to explore the environmental behavior, ecological effects, and toxicological mechanisms of ECs like persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, and microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. We welcome contributions from scholars worldwide, intending to introduce the current research hotspots in the field of water environmental pollution and ecological health risks, and anticipate future research directions.

The subtopics include, but are not limited to:
• Environmental behavior of emerging contaminants
• Aquatic ecotoxicology and physiological stress responses
• New technologies for monitoring and treatment of emerging contaminants
• Risk assessment and management in the aquatic environment