Migration, Bioconcentration, and Ecological Toxicity of Persistent Pollutants

Environmental pollution poses significant threats to both ecological systems and human health, particularly through persistent pollutants whose durability and capability to accumulate in ecosystems enable their entry into biological organisms and subsequent integration into food webs. These persistent pollutants, including microplastics, heavy metals, and personal care product ingredients, accumulate over time and cause severe ecological disruptions, such as biodiversity loss and impairment of ecosystem functions. Despite substantial recent studies highlighting the detrimental impacts and risks posed by these persistent contaminants, critical gaps remain in understanding their specific migration pathways, bioaccumulative processes, interaction with abiotic and biotic ecosystem components, and their long-term ecological and human health implications.

This Research Topic aims to deepen our knowledge of migration mechanisms, bioaccumulation pathways, ecotoxicological impacts, and environmental health risks associated with persistent pollutants. Key objectives include elucidating pollutant transfer processes across various environmental media, clarifying mechanisms of pollutant uptake and bioaccumulation in diverse biological organisms, evaluating their subsequent impacts on food web stability and ecosystem functioning, and proposing effective interdisciplinary mitigation strategies to ultimately reduce environmental and human health risks.

To gather further insights within the context of persistent pollutant migration, bioaccumulation, ecological toxicity, and environmental risk mitigation, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Migration patterns and behaviour mechanisms of persistent pollutants across different environmental compartments (e.g., air, water, soil, sediment).
• Bioaccumulation processes in various taxonomic groups and trophic levels and the subsequent effects on food web stability and dynamics.
• Ecotoxicological assessments elucidating pollutant effects at the individual, population, community, and ecosystem levels.
• Development and utilization of advanced analytical methodologies and computational models to predict and monitor environmental behaviour and pollutant pathways.
• Interdisciplinary approaches integrating environmental science, toxicology, ecology, socio-economic factors, and policy frameworks to develop effective mitigation and restoration strategies.
We welcome submissions in the form of original research, review articles, mini-reviews, and opinion pieces, particularly those emphasizing interdisciplinary research approaches and innovative methods that contribute significantly to scientific understanding and practical environmental management.