Emerging contaminants (ECs) are becoming an increasing concern due to their potential adverse impacts on environmental matrices; water, soil, and plants. ECs are chemicals of natural or synthetic origin that are not traditionally regulated or commonly monitored but have recently been identified as potential environmental pollutants. These include pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), antimicrobials, animal and human hormones, microplastics, pesticides, and industrial and household detergents.

Unfortunately, the main reservoirs of ECs in the environment include wastewater and agricultural soils. Once released, plants can easily absorb and metabolize them, ending up in the food chain. The study of their dynamics represents an interesting challenge because it is difficult to predict, being influenced by the physicochemical properties of the molecules and medium/soil properties. The detection of emerging contaminants (ECs) in the environment is increasingly documented across different global regions.

In recent years, many researchers have highlighted alarming findings of widespread and emerging contamination of soil by ECs and uptake by plants. The presence of emerging contaminants in water-soil-plant systems represents a challenge for the entire scientific community. To ensure greater environmental and food safety, it is important to thoroughly investigate how ECs interact with soil and plants. However, further studies are still needed to fully understand the fate of these contaminants in terms of bioaccumulation in soil, uptake by plants, formation of transformation products, and reduction of possible risks to human health. By presenting innovative solutions and research results, this topic also aims to contribute to the development of alternate agronomic strategies to reduce EC pollution.

This research topic aims to explore the different issues relating to the problem of ECs in the agricultural sector. The special issue is open to research articles, reviews, case studies, and perspectives addressing the following topics:

- Sources of contamination and transport of polluting molecules in the environment;

- ECs extraction and quantification techniques;

- Dynamics of ECs in soil: interaction with organic and inorganic matter;

- Degradation and transformation processes of ECs;

- Effects of contaminants and respective metabolites on enzymatic and microbial activity;

- Contaminants translocation into edible parts of plants;

- Tools and methods to model the fate of emerging pollutants;

- Environmental and human health risk assessment.

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Frontiers in Soil Science

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