This Virtual Special Issue seeks submissions of high-quality research articles, reviews, viewpoints and perspectives on the latest advances and insights into emerging contaminants in agroecosystems. Submit your manuscript by December 1, 2023.

The global demand for food is increasing due to the increasing global population. Fertilizers and pesticides in production agriculture and pharmaceutical compounds (e.g., antibiotics, hormones, and steroids) in animal agriculture are employed to promote the agricultural production of food. Moreover, non-conventional water resources such as reclaimed water are used to replace freshwater as irrigation water, especially in arid and semi-arid regions (e.g., the Mediterranean, the Middle East Region, and Africa). Livestock manure (including liquid and solid forms of animal wastes) and biosolids (referring to stabilized sewage sludge) are applied in production agriculture as soil amendments due to their high concentrations of nutrients.

Besides boosting food production, these practices introduce emerging contaminants into agroecosystems, such as microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These introduced contaminants accumulate in the compartments of agroecosystems (e.g., soils, waters, crops, and manure) and mobilize to surrounding environments. This threatens food safety and will adversely affect human health and the natural environment. Therefore, understanding the emerging contaminants in agroecosystems is essential for developing appropriate management practices and strategies to ensure food safety.

This virtual special issue from Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, and ACS ES&T Water is seeking submissions of high-quality research articles, reviews, viewpoints and perspectives on the latest advances and insights into emerging contaminants in agroecosystems.

Guest Editors

  • Dr. Huan Chen
    Clemson University, United States. Email
  • Dr. Alex T. Chow
    The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Email
  • Dr. Clinton Williams
    USDA-ARS, US Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, United States. Email
  • Dr. Jun-Jian Wang
    Southern University of Science and Technology, China. Email
  • Dr. Wei-Ling Sun
    Peking University, China. Email

Submission Instructions

To submit your manuscript, please visit the relevant journal website linked above. Follow the normal procedures for manuscript submission and select the special issue from the drop-down box in the ACS Paragon Plus submission site.

Manuscripts must adhere to the author guidelines for each journal which are available from the journal’s Information for Authors page. All invited and contributed manuscripts will be screened for suitability upon submission and undergo the standard peer-review procedure of the journal.

The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2023.

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