Exposure to toxic chemicals such as pesticides, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), and Perfluorooctanoic Acids (PFOAs) is a threat to global public health and is linked to various diseases, which can lead to significant effects on social endeavors and economic development. People can be exposed to mixtures of chemical toxins simultaneously and/or sequentially via multiple exposure routes, for example, oral, dermal, and occupational. Exposure to these chemicals can trigger various cancers by disrupting the endocrine system, destroying DNA, damaging tissues, and switching genes on or off. In addition, environmental and occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals increases the global burden of disease, which per year includes nearly 5 million deaths and 90 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). However, the health risk assessment of cumulative exposure to toxic chemicals is currently limited by the quantification of exposure dose (e.g., duration, frequency, model, and intensity), the effects of chemical mixtures (e.g., additive, synergistic, or antagonistic), and the toxicological interactions of toxic chemicals. Furthermore, every year hundreds of new synthetic chemicals are being released into the environment and bioaccumulate in humans before their toxicity and exposure potential are able to be fully understood.

This special issue aims to collate research articles, as well as critical reviews, that address challenges regarding chemical toxicology and public health in order to better assess, manage, and control health risks caused by the exposures to chemical toxins. This is to provide theoretical insights and/or practical evidence of health science at both the molecular and population level.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• The adverse effects of toxic chemical substances on living organisms (e.g., lipofuscinosis)
• Environmental and occupational exposure route assessment and modelling (e.g., inhalation)
• Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of industrial and agricultural chemicals in humans (e.g., Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in blood and milk)
• Human diseases and health outcomes related to toxic chemicals (e.g., birth defects)
• Environmental and human risk assessment of exposure to toxic chemicals
• Health policy and management related to toxic chemicals