Topics

Full Articles/ Reviews/ Shorts Papers/ Abstracts are welcomed in the following research fields:

Topic 1: Sustainable Chemical Synthesis and Source Reduction

• Atom Economy and E-Factor: Designing chemical reactions that maximize the incorporation of all materials used into the final product, minimizing waste output.

• Safer Solvent Alternatives: Replacing toxic organic solvents with supercritical fluids, ionic liquids, or water-based reaction media.

• Catalysis vs. Stoichiometric Reagents: Using selective, reusable catalysts to reduce energy usage and eliminate chemical byproducts.

• Design for Degradation: Synthesizing products that naturally break down into harmless environmental end-products after use.

Topic 2: Emerging Contaminants and Aquatic Ecotoxicology

• PFAS and Forever Chemicals: Examining the persistence, movement, and biological impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic environments.

• Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs): Understanding the ecological effects of hormones, antibiotics, and active pharmaceutical ingredients entering waterways.

• Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Investigating the physical transport, adsorption of co-pollutants, and ingestion of plastic fragments by aquatic life.

• Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification: Tracking how persistent organic pollutants build up in tissue and increase in concentration up food chains.

Topic 3: Green Water Treatment and Remediation Technologies

• Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): Utilizing solar-driven or green-catalyzed oxidation to degrade complex organic pollutants without toxic sludge.

• Bio-based Adsorbents: Harnessing agricultural waste, algae, and natural polymers to remove heavy metals and dye contaminants from industrial effluents.

• Membrane Filtration and Desalination: Developing low-energy, foul-resistant membranes for clean water recovery and brackish water purification.

• Phytoremediation and Nature-Based Solutions: Employing plants and constructed wetlands to naturally filter runoff and absorb urban contaminants.

Topic 4: Waterborne Pathogens and Environmental Epidemiology

• Waterborne Infectious Diseases: Studying the transmission, prevalence, and health impacts of bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens like Vibrio cholerae, Cryptosporidium, and Legionella.

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Water Systems: Assessing how wastewater treatment plants and agricultural runoff serve as hotspots for gene transfer and resistant bacteria.

• Disinfection By-Products (DBPs): Balancing the necessity of chemical disinfection against the public health risks of carcinogenic byproducts formed with organic matter.

• Wastewater-Based Epidemiology: Monitoring community health, disease outbreaks, and drug usage by analyzing biomarkers present in municipal wastewater.

Topic 5: Water Policy, Circular Economy, and Risk Assessment

• Safe Drinking Water Regulations: Establishing health-based standards, maximum contaminant level goals, and monitoring framework policies.

• Benign-by-Design Lifecycle Analysis: Evaluating the cradle-to-grave environmental and health footprint of chemical products before market entry.

• Circular Water Economy: Promoting closed-loop industrial water recycling, greywater reuse, and resource recovery from municipal sludge.

• Climate Change and Water Security: Analyzing the health impacts of climate-induced drought, flooding, saltwater intrusion, and changing water availability.