Emerging pollutants refer to pollutants caused by human activities that clearly exist but do not yet have relevant management laws, regulations, or standards. There are many types of emerging pollutants, which can usually be divided into endocrine disruptors (EDCs), pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), brominated flame retardants (BRPs), drinking water disinfection by-products, and nanomaterials and microplastics. They can cause serious harm to ecosystems and human health, but their toxic effects and toxic mechanisms are not yet fully understood, and understanding these mechanisms has been a vital area of environmental science research in recent years.

The environmental toxicological effects of different types of emerging pollutants can differ significantly. At present, relevant standards for their safe environmental concentration are lacking, impeding their environmental risk management. Environmental criteria are the scientific basis for the formulation of environmental standards, and through environmental toxicology research, we can determine the environmental criteria of emerging pollutants, and then formulate environmental standards to provide a scientific basis for environmental risk management and policy.

This Special Issue aims to gather recent advances in research into the environmental toxicological effects, risks, and criteria and standards of emerging pollutants in aqueous environments. We welcome high-quality original research or review papers on these topics, showing technical advances, innovations, and perspectives.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• New methods for the screening and identification of emerging pollutants
• Environmental monitoring and analysis of emerging pollutants in water
• Transportation, environmental behavior, and fate of emerging pollutants in aquatic ecosystems
• Exposure and toxicological effects of emerging pollutants on aquatic organisms and their mechanisms of toxicity
• Identification and characterization of biomarkers for emerging pollutants
• The bioavailability and bioaccumulation of emerging pollutants in aquatic ecosystems
• The joint toxicity effects of emerging pollutants in aquatic environments
• Ecological effects of emerging pollutants in aquatic environments
• Water quality criteria and standards of emerging pollutants
• Risk assessment and management of emerging pollutants in water