Special Issue
Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Challenges, Pathways, and Solutions
Open for Submissions
Journal: Nature Environment and Pollution Technology (NEPT)
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 April 2027
Target Publication: July 2027
Guest Editors
Dr. Maya Al-Sid-Cheikh
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor)
in Environmental Analytical Chemistry
Head, Applied RadioIsotope and
Environmental Laboratory (ARIEL)
School of Chemistry,
University of Edinburgh,
United Kingdom
Dr. Kevin (Kien) Vu
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
E. S. Witchger School of Engineering
Marian University,
United States
About the Special Issue
Emerging environmental contaminants are increasingly detected in aquatic and terrestrial environments. These include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), endocrine-disrupting chemicals, microplastics, nanoplastics, industrial additives, and other substances of emerging environmental concern.
Their widespread occurrence, environmental persistence, potential toxicity, and complex interactions with natural systems present significant challenges for environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and pollution management. In addition, antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in wastewater and aquatic environments, has emerged as an important environmental concern.
Advances in analytical chemistry, molecular monitoring, environmental modeling, and treatment technologies provide new opportunities to understand the sources, environmental pathways, transformation, and impacts of these contaminants. However, further research is needed to connect laboratory findings with environmental conditions and develop effective, sustainable mitigation strategies.
This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality original research and critical reviews addressing the challenges, environmental pathways, ecological risks, and practical solutions associated with emerging environmental contaminants.
Aim and Objectives
The Special Issue seeks to advance scientific understanding of emerging contaminants and promote effective approaches for environmental monitoring, pollution prevention, treatment, and remediation.
Particular emphasis is placed on studies that establish clear relationships between contaminant occurrence, environmental processes, ecological risks, and practical management solutions.
Suggested Themes and Research Topics
Submissions are invited in the following areas, although relevant studies beyond these topics may also be considered.
1. Occurrence and Identification of Emerging Contaminants
- Pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, industrial additives, and transformation products.
- PFAS and other persistent or mobile environmental contaminants.
- Microplastics, nanoplastics, and associated chemical pollutants.
- Emerging contaminants in surface water, groundwater, wastewater, soil, sediments, and aquatic organisms.
- Spatial and temporal patterns of contaminant occurrence and distribution.
2. Environmental Sources, Pathways, and Transformation
- Sources, release pathways, and environmental transport of emerging contaminants.
- Contaminants associated with municipal wastewater, industrial discharges, hospital wastewater, and urban stormwater.
- Agricultural runoff, pesticide residues, and contaminant transport through soil-water systems.
- Environmental persistence, degradation, transformation, sorption, and bioaccumulation.
- Fate and transport modeling under realistic environmental conditions.
3. Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Contaminants
- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater and aquatic environments.
- Environmental pathways and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.
- Relationships between antibiotic residues, microbial communities, and resistance development.
- Occurrence and removal of microbial contaminants and ARGs in wastewater treatment systems.
- Environmental surveillance of AMR and associated ecological risks.
4. Advanced Detection and Environmental Monitoring
- Advanced chromatographic, spectroscopic, and mass spectrometric techniques.
- High-resolution mass spectrometry and suspect or non-target screening.
- Sensors, biosensors, and rapid environmental monitoring methods.
- Molecular approaches, including quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), sequencing, and metagenomics for monitoring microbial contaminants and antibiotic resistance genes.
- Method validation, quality assurance, and reliable quantification of contaminants in complex environmental matrices.
5. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Risk Assessment
- Toxicological effects of emerging contaminants on aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
- Mixture toxicity and interactions among multiple contaminants.
- Exposure assessment, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer.
- Ecological risk characterization and contaminant prioritization.
- Environmental implications of transformation products and degradation intermediates.
6. Treatment Technologies and Remediation Mechanisms
- Adsorption, ion exchange, membrane separation, and advanced oxidation processes.
- Biological treatment, biodegradation, bioremediation, and phytoremediation.
- Electrochemical, photocatalytic, and hybrid treatment technologies.
- Removal mechanisms, degradation pathways, transformation products, and treatment by-products.
- Material stability, regeneration, reusability, and long-term treatment performance.
- Treatment evaluations using real wastewater or environmentally representative matrices.
- Pilot-scale applications and practical treatment performance.
7. Sustainability and Practical Implementation
- Energy consumption and resource requirements of treatment technologies.
- Economic feasibility, operating costs, and techno-economic assessment.
- Life-cycle assessment and environmental impacts of treatment processes.
- Sustainable materials and circular-economy approaches to contaminant management.
- Technology scalability and implementation under practical operating conditions.
- Integrated strategies for pollution prevention, treatment, and remediation.
8. Environmental Management, Policy, and Regional Challenges
- Environmental monitoring frameworks and contaminant management strategies.
- Risk-based prioritization of emerging contaminants.
- Environmental governance and regulatory challenges.
- Pollution management in developing countries and resource-constrained settings.
- Studies integrating contaminant monitoring, ecological risks, and practical mitigation measures.
- Regional and international comparisons providing broader environmental insights.
Manuscript Scope and Quality Expectations
The Special Issue welcomes scientifically rigorous studies presenting original findings, methodological advances, or critical synthesis of existing knowledge. Submissions should demonstrate clear environmental relevance and contribute to understanding or addressing emerging contaminant problems.
Experimental treatment studies are encouraged to provide mechanistic explanations and, wherever feasible, evaluate performance under realistic environmental conditions. Studies addressing material stability, transformation products, regeneration, or treatment sustainability are particularly welcome.
Environmental monitoring studies should move beyond routine reporting of contaminant concentrations and provide meaningful interpretation of sources, pathways, ecological implications, temporal or spatial patterns, or management relevance.
Contributions from different geographical regions are encouraged. All submissions will be evaluated according to their scientific quality, novelty, methodological rigor, and relevance to the Special Issue.
Types of Contributions
- Original Research Articles
- Critical Review Articles
Review articles should provide critical evaluation, identify important research gaps, and offer new insights rather than merely summarize published studies.
Important Dates
| Manuscript Submission Deadline | 30 April 2027 |
| Peer Review and Editorial Assessment | On a rolling basis |
| Target Publication | July 2027 |
Peer Review and Editorial Process
All manuscripts submitted to the Special Issue will undergo NEPT's standard editorial screening and independent peer-review process.
Manuscripts will be evaluated based on scientific novelty, methodological rigor, clarity, environmental relevance, and contribution to the field.
Submission Information
Authors are invited to submit manuscripts through NEPT's online submission system. Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the journal's author guidelines.
Authors should clearly mention the following Special Issue title in the cover letter:
Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Challenges, Pathways, and Solutions
Online Submission Portal:
Submit Your Manuscript
Author Guidelines:
View NEPT Author Guidelines
Article Processing Charges
Article processing charges apply only to manuscripts accepted after successful peer review. There is no manuscript submission fee.
Authors should consult the journal's current publication fee policy and author guidelines for applicable charges, eligibility conditions, and additional fees, if any.
Special Issue Coordination
Nature Environment and Pollution Technology (NEPT)
For questions regarding the Special Issue, manuscript suitability, or the submission procedure, please contact the editorial office.
Email: operations@neptjournal.com
Journal Website: www.neptjournal.com