Persistent toxic substances (PTSs), including both persistent organic pollutants and toxic metals, have been widely spread in the environment and are known to be responsible for adverse human health effects. More and more PTSs are being added to the list of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Global concerns on PTSs in the environment and their effects on humans are increasing.

To understand the risks of PTSs in the environment, it is very necessary to examine their occurrence, fate, and distribution. In the past decade, there have been a number of studies on the occurrence of PTSs in the environment; however studies regarding identification and quantification of unknown PTSs, source identification and apportionment of PTSs, and transport and transformation of PTSs are still lacking. In addition, human biomonitoring is essential for assessing the accumulation of PTSs from exposure to humans. Human biomonitoring can help to establish a database of the background exposure levels of PTSs and further to define the list of priority pollutants; then more actions could be taken to protect humans. Unfortunately, human biomonitoring studies regarding PTSs are relatively limited, and as a result the exposure routes, accumulation, and metabolization of PTSs in humans are still not clear. Finally, state-of-the-art analysis methods for PTSs in complex environmental and human samples are very rare.

Given the significance of this subject, the Journal of Chemistry is now seeking unpublished original research papers and review articles to organize a special issue focused on persistent toxic substances in the environment and humans.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Gaps in persistent toxic substances studies: current challenges and prospective solutions
• Identification of unknown persistent toxic substances
• The development of methods for measuring persistent toxic substances in multiple environmental media
• The development of methods for measuring persistent toxic substances in humans
• Persistent toxic substances in the environment (atmospheric, aquatic, soil, etc.)
• Source identification and apportionment of persistent toxic substances
• Persistent toxic substances in humans (exposure routes, accumulation, metabolization, etc.)