Genotoxic Pollutants

Dear Colleagues,

Genotoxic pollutants are environmental agents released mainly by human activities, with the ability to cause damage to genetic material. Occasionally, volcanic eruptions and other natural events also release significant amounts of genotoxic pollutants into the environment. Such pollutants, whether of natural or anthropogenic origin, can cause DNA damage, micronuclei and chromosomal aberrations, histone modifications and mutations, or alter gene expression and DNA methylation. These genotoxic outcomes are involved in the development of cell anomalies and diseases in humans and other animal species, such as cancer and reproduction problems. Potentially toxic elements (e.g., lead, zinc, mercury, cadmium, copper, chromium), pharmaceutical compounds, nanoparticles, plastic-derived chemicals and microplastics, airborne particles and even pathogens can act as genotoxic pollutants. Mining activities, domestic and industrial sewage disposal into water bodies, vehicle pollution, inadequate management of electronic waste and fires are just some of the issues linked to genotoxic pollution. Climate change, increasing social inequalities worldwide and the growing demand for metals used in the development of batteries and electronic devices indicate that genotoxic pollution is a problem of growing concern. For this reason, genotoxic pollutants must be characterized in detail and their sources detected so that strategies to control the environmental contamination by these pollutants can be applied, protecting biodiversity and human health. This Special Issue aims to bring together many contributions (original articles, reviews and opinions, among other article types), covering the following topics and areas:

• Effects of genotoxic pollutants on the health of humans, animals and ecosystems;
• Molecular action mechanisms of genotoxic pollutants;
• Genetic and immune factors that affect the metabolism of genotoxic pollutants;
• Emerging genotoxic pollutants;
• Natural and anthropogenic drivers of genotoxic pollution;
• Use of the comet assay, the micronucleus test and other classical methods to study genotoxic pollutants;
• New in vivo and in vitro methods to study genotoxic pollutants;
• Alternative methods to using animals in the study of genotoxic pollutants (e.g., plant assays);
• Toxicogenomics of pollutants;
• Approaches to preventing and mitigating the harmful impact of genotoxic pollutants on the environment;
• Policies and regulatory aspects for the control of genotoxic pollution.

Dr. Joel Henrique Ellwanger
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• chromosome damage
• DNA damage
• environment
• genetic toxicology
• genomic instability
• genotoxicity
• genotoxins
• pollution
• micronucleus
• mutation