Innovative Technologies for Emerging Contaminants Management in Environmental and Public Health Systems

Emerging contaminants (ECs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), micro- and nanoplastics, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), novel industrial chemicals, and antibiotic resistance genes, are now routinely detected in water, soil, air, and biota worldwide. Traditional monitoring and treatment methods frequently fall short because of the structural diversity, environmental persistence, and complex transport mechanisms of these pollutants. Three critical gaps drive the urgency of this Research Topic: (1) the lack of ultra-sensitive, field-deployable detection systems capable of real-time surveillance across multiple media; (2) limited field-scale validation of remediation technologies for many EC classes; and (3) the absence of integrated frameworks linking environmental contamination data to human health outcomes.

Together, these gaps carry direct public health consequences. Long-term, low-dose, and mixed exposures to PFAS, EDCs, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes are increasingly associated with hormonal disruption, immune dysregulation, metabolic disorders, cancer, developmental impairment, and the accelerating global burden of antimicrobial resistance. Exposure occurs through drinking water, food, air, and occupational contact, and the effects disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and communities situated near contaminated industrial or agricultural sites. Addressing these risks therefore demands technologies that go beyond detecting and removing contaminants; they must demonstrably reduce exposure, improve risk characterization, and produce measurable benefits to population health.

This Research Topic seeks contributions that highlight innovative technologies for detecting, measuring, removing, degrading, containing, and mitigating the risks of ECs. Its purpose is to accelerate comprehensive, One Health-aligned approaches, a framework that recognizes the interdependence of human, animal, and ecosystem health (WHO/FAO/UNEP framework), connecting advances in monitoring and treatment with exposure assessment, health risk modeling, policy formulation, and the protection of both ecosystems and human populations.

We welcome contributions spanning the full translational arc, from novel sensor materials and computational analytics to field-scale cleanup operations. We especially value studies that explicitly connect environmental contamination data to human health outcomes, disease burden, and risk-reduction interventions. The incorporation of social, economic, and regulatory dimensions is strongly encouraged to ensure practical applicability and equitable implementation.

Submissions are encouraged to address one or more of the following six thematic areas:

Advanced Monitoring and Sensor Technologies: Ultra-trace detection methods, real-time analytical platforms, modular and mobile sensing units, IoT-connected environmental monitoring networks, and innovative data assimilation techniques, particularly those that facilitate exposure assessment and health-relevant surveillance across multiple environmental media.

Treatment and Remediation Strategies: Novel approaches to removing or degrading persistent contaminants such as PFAS, EDCs, and nanoplastics, including innovative sorbent media, hybrid physicochemical-biological processes, advanced oxidation, and bioremediation. Priority is placed on pilot-to-field applications with demonstrated or anticipated benefits in reducing human exposure and protecting public health.

System-Level Modeling, Risk Analysis, and Digital Integration: Machine learning-based forecasting, digital twin simulations, life-cycle analysis, and real-time remediation data systems applied to exposure pathways, toxicological thresholds, and population health risk estimation. This thematic area is central to the topic’s translational mission: closing the quantitative link between environmental measurements and human health endpoints.

Cross-Media and Multi-Compartment Contaminant Management: Integrated management of ECs across soil, sediment, surface water, groundwater, air, and biota, including overlapping legacy and emerging contaminant plumes, multiphase transport modeling, and approaches that explicitly connect environmental exposure profiles to human health outcomes.

One Health Policy, Regulatory Analysis, and Equitable Technology Transfer: Implementation of One Health frameworks in regulatory and governance contexts; technology transfer to field and community settings; sustainability and life-cycle assessments; community engagement; environmental justice; and deployment equity, all evaluated with reference to measurable improvements in public health outcomes.

Emerging Contaminant Classes, Mixture Toxicology, and Climate Resilience: Characterization of novel EC classes and transformation products; assessment of mixture toxicities and cumulative health risks; and evaluation of how climate stressors (altered hydrology, temperature shifts, extreme events) affect contaminant fate, transport, and the performance of detection and treatment technologies, with attention to implications for vulnerable populations.

The editorial team particularly encourages submissions that include field-scale validation of detection or treatment technologies; quantitative linkages between environmental contamination and human exposure or health risk reduction; digital and data-driven innovations at the sensor-to-decision interface; and sustainability or life-cycle assessments that support long-term deployment decisions.

Studies that do not include at least a conceptual connection to exposure pathways or health outcomes, for example, purely laboratory-scale materials characterization without remediation context, fall outside the primary scope of this topic. Authors uncertain about whether their work fits this call are encouraged to contact the Guest Editors before submission.

Research from diverse geographic, economic, and environmental contexts is strongly welcomed, including studies from low- and middle-income countries and underrepresented regions. A globally representative body of evidence is essential to understanding the full spectrum of EC exposure and to developing solutions that are both technically sound and contextually appropriate.

By integrating advances in sensor science, remediation engineering, and data-driven decision-making with the rigorous methods of exposure science and health risk assessment, this Research Topic aims to accelerate the translation of technological innovation into scalable, sustainable, and equitable solutions that deliver demonstrable improvements to both environmental quality and human health.