Emerging contaminants, spanning a broad spectrum of chemical and biological agents, pose urgent challenges for public health and environmental sustainability. These substances include micro- and nano-plastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and a diversity of pathogenic organisms. Each class exhibits unique environmental behaviors, ranging from persistence and bioaccumulation to trophic transfer and ecological disruption. The new journal commits to publishing cutting-edge research that elucidates the molecular transformations, transport mechanisms, and fate of these contaminants under varying environmental conditions, thereby enhancing scientific understanding and facilitating more effective intervention strategies.

Of particular importance is the journal’s focus on novel analytical and identification technologies capable of detecting contaminants at trace levels. Advances in chromatography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, biosensors, and molecular techniques are revolutionizing contaminant surveillance. New Contaminants aims to spotlight these methodologies, emphasizing their application in real-world environmental matrices such as soil, water, air, and biota. Detailed studies dissecting the physico-chemical properties influencing contaminant mobility and bioavailability are central to building predictive models and designing targeted remediation protocols.

Risk assessment stands at the core of contaminant science, given the complexities involved in accurately predicting ecological and human health outcomes. The journal will host comprehensive evaluations of toxicological data, integrating in vivo and in vitro findings with computational modeling approaches. Contributions that highlight synergistic and antagonistic effects within contaminant mixtures, including their potential to exacerbate resistance in microbial communities, are particularly encouraged. Additionally, the multidisciplinary approach embraces the socio-economic dimensions of contaminant exposure, illuminating policy implications and risk communication strategies to inform stakeholders and the broader public.

Environmental remediation technologies featured in New Contaminants range from physical removal approaches to advanced chemical transformations and biologically-driven processes. Cutting-edge innovations include nanomaterial-based adsorbents, photocatalytic degradation systems, and engineered microbial consortia capable of biodegrading persistent pollutants. These strategies are evaluated not only for efficacy but also for sustainability and potential secondary environmental impacts. The journal advocates for integrated remediation frameworks that mitigate contamination while preserving or restoring ecosystem functionality.

A distinct element of contemporary contaminant research featured in the journal is the exploration of predictive modeling and informatics tools. Machine learning algorithms and big data analytics are increasingly leveraged to forecast contaminant spread and identify hotspots with limited monitoring data. These computational models enable proactive mitigation and resource optimization, particularly in urban and industrial landscapes. The journal fosters dialogue on the enhancement, validation, and standardization of these modeling approaches, which are essential for regulatory acceptance and practical implementation.

Policy and governance frameworks constitute another vital theme within New Contaminants. The journal serves as a forum for critical analysis of existing regulatory mechanisms and for proposing novel policies that address the rapid emergence of previously unknown contaminants. This includes globally coordinated actions, harmonization of contaminant standards, and incentive-based mechanisms to promote sustainable industrial practices. By bridging science and policy, the journal empowers decision-makers to enact informed and timely regulations that safeguard environmental and human health.

The journal’s commitment to open access ensures that scientific advancements reach a worldwide audience unrestricted by financial barriers, fostering international collaboration and knowledge dissemination. In support of this vision, Maxapress is offering a limited-time waiver of article processing charges from 2025 to 2027, accelerating the development and sharing of pioneering research during this critical launch phase. This strategic initiative lowers submission thresholds, inviting a diverse array of contributions from emerging and established researchers alike.

New Contaminants is especially poised to inspire cross-sector partnerships among academia, government agencies, industry, and non-governmental organizations. By uniting these spheres, the journal facilitates the translation of scientific insights into actionable solutions. It embraces interdisciplinary submissions that integrate environmental science with engineering, toxicology, epidemiology, public health, and social sciences, reflecting the multifaceted nature of emerging contaminant challenges.

The inaugural editorial underscores prevailing knowledge gaps that persist in contaminant research. Despite advancements, many contaminants lack comprehensive toxicological profiles, and long-term ecological effects remain poorly understood. The editorial calls for intensified research efforts into the transformation products of contaminants, chronic exposure assessment, and the uncovering of novel and cryptic contaminants that may evade current detection technologies. Bridging these gaps is critical to future-proofing environmental management in the face of evolving industrial and societal activities.

Remediation strategies outlined in the journal also emphasize the importance of adaptive management, incorporation of real-time monitoring data, and the development of robust risk-based frameworks. These approaches ensure the dynamic and context-specific nature of contamination is addressed effectively. Additionally, the role of circular economy concepts and sustainable material design is highlighted to minimize contaminant generation at the source, thus integrating prevention with remediation.

Ultimately, the launch of New Contaminants arrives at a pivotal juncture, coinciding with increasing global awareness of environmental degradation and human health threats linked to chemical pollution. This platform promises to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and catalyze transformative solutions that are urgently needed to tackle emerging contaminants comprehensively. Researchers, practitioners, and policy innovators are invited to engage with this vibrant community by submitting their work and participating in shaping the future landscape of contaminant science.

Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: New Contaminants: Existence and Knowledge Gaps
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.48130/newcontam-0025-0003
Image Credits: Fengchang Wu, Brett Robinson, Yanzheng Gao & Fei Dang
Keywords: Environmental issues; Human health; Environmental remediation

Bisphenol A’s notoriety arises from its ability to mimic or antagonize endogenous hormones, primarily through binding with estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormone receptors. Given the critical roles these receptors play in orchestrating developmental gene expression and cellular differentiation, BPA’s interference can disrupt the intricate endocrine balance required for normal physiological functions. However, this known receptor-mediated paradigm may not fully encapsulate BPA’s breadth of biological effects. Retinoic acid, a vitamin A derivative essential for vertebrate organogenesis and neurodevelopment, operates via retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) that regulate gene networks pivotal for morphogenesis and cellular patterning. The coexistence in aquatic environments of BPA with trace amounts of RA suggests plausible interactive effects on biological systems exposed to both agents concurrently.

To probe how the simultaneous presence of BPA and RA impacts neurodevelopment, Takada’s team employed a dual experimental approach leveraging human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and zebrafish embryos, an established vertebrate model whose transparent embryogenesis facilitates direct observation of morphological and molecular changes. Their meticulous exposure paradigms compared the consequences of BPA alone, RA alone, and combined BPA-RA treatments on gene expression and developmental endpoints. Strikingly, BPA in isolation did not significantly perturb developmental processes; however, when co-administered with RA, BPA markedly amplified RA signaling. This synergistic overactivation was especially evident in the dysregulation of HOX gene clusters, master regulators of anterior-posterior body axis patterning.

HOX genes, evolutionarily conserved transcription factors, dictate spatial identity and organ positioning during embryogenesis. The observed upregulation of HOX genes under BPA-RA co-exposure precipitated aberrant brain and craniofacial formation, as evidenced by morphological abnormalities in zebrafish neuroanatomy and facial structures. Such malformations included the rostral displacement of neural domain markers like hoxb1a and duplication of specific neuronal populations, notably Mauthner cells, which are critical for motor reflexes. These developmental perturbations mimic phenotypes reminiscent of human neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), underscoring a potential environmental etiology linked to chemical co-exposures.

Fundamental to understanding the mechanistic underpinning of this synergy, the researchers demonstrated through pharmacological interventions that blocking RA receptors significantly mitigated the BPA-induced potentiation of RA signaling. This provides critical evidence that BPA acts through modulation of the RA signaling cascade rather than through its previously characterized estrogenic pathways. The implications of this finding are profound, challenging the singular focus on classical steroid hormone receptors in BPA toxicity and expanding the horizon to nutrient-associated signal transduction pathways as targets of endocrine disruption.

The intersection of environmental chemicals and nutrient-derived signaling molecules represents a novel frontier in toxicology and developmental biology. Retinoic acid’s centrality in early embryonic patterning makes its aberrant activation a sensitive readout for developmental insults. BPA’s ability to amplify RA pathway activity suggests that combined chemical-nutrient exposures, even at low environmental levels previously deemed safe individually, may synergize to disrupt fundamental developmental processes. This challenges current regulatory frameworks that often assess chemical hazards in isolation, highlighting the necessity of integrated evaluations considering co-exposures and complex mixture effects.

Water systems worldwide have documented the presence of BPA due to leaching from consumer product packaging, thermal receipts, and household items; concomitantly, low concentrations of RA-like compounds have been identified in drinking water sources. This environmental co-occurrence signifies realistic exposure scenarios for human populations, especially pregnant women and developing fetuses. The vulnerability of early developmental stages to chemical perturbations is well recognized, and these new findings spotlight a hitherto unrecognized axis of risk involving BPA and RA interactions.

Moreover, the study’s use of human iPSCs offers a translational bridge from animal models to human biology, providing an in vitro platform to dissect molecular responses within a human cellular context. These pluripotent cells mirror early developmental stages and enable the monitoring of neuronal differentiation trajectories under chemical influences. Observing that BPA potentiated RA-induced gene expression alterations and morphological changes in iPSC-derived neural progenitors further strengthens the relevance of these findings to human developmental health.

Professor Takada emphasizes that this research “illuminates the complex crosstalk between environmental chemicals and endogenous signaling networks, revealing a critical pathway through which BPA can exert neurodevelopmental toxicity.” The study thereby elevates the importance of considering how ubiquitous environmental chemicals may modulate physiologically essential pathways with far-reaching consequences across organ systems.

This work urges policymakers, regulators, and public health experts to reexamine permissible exposure limits and risk assessment procedures, taking into account combinatorial interactions between chemicals and nutrients. Greater surveillance of drinking water quality for RA-like activity and stricter controls on BPA usage could be essential steps to protect vulnerable populations from developmental neurotoxicity. Furthermore, it signals a call to researchers to deepen investigations into endocrine disruption beyond classical receptor paradigms, appraising the broader molecular circuitry susceptible to environmental insults.

As synthetic chemical production escalates globally, unearthing mechanistic insights such as those provided by Takada and colleagues becomes indispensable to safeguarding developmental integrity and mitigating the burden of neurodevelopmental disorders linked to environmental factors. Their pioneering approach sheds light on the pleiotropic effects of endocrine disruptors across multiple signaling axes, reinforcing the complexity of chemical exposures in real-world scenarios.

Ultimately, this study positions retinoic acid signaling as a central node through which the combined exposure to BPA and RA operates to modify neuronal and brain development. The implications resonate beyond basic science, compelling a redefinition of how chemical safety is evaluated and prompting holistic strategies to minimize harmful exposures during critical windows of human development.

Subject of Research: Animals

Article Title: Effects of Bisphenol A and Retinoic Acid Exposure on Neuron and Brain Formation: A Study in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Zebrafish Embryos

News Publication Date: 13-May-2025

Web References:
– Environmental Health Perspectives article: https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15574
– Ritsumeikan University: http://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/
– Ritsumeikan University Research Report: https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/research/radiant/eng/

References:
DOI: 10.1289/EHP15574

Image Credits: Prof. Tatsuyuki Takada from Ritsumeikan University, Japan

Keywords: Brain development, Developmental neuroscience, Developmental biology, Biochemistry, Toxicology, Stem cells, Molecular biology, Retinoic acid, Gene expression, Developmental disorders, Environmental health, Public health