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Heavy metals’ contamination of aquatic ecosystems is an ever-growing environmental and public health Research Topic. Heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) persist in the environment, accumulate in aquatic organisms, and biomagnify through the food chain, ultimately affecting human health (
This Research Topic seeks to consolidate studies examining heavy metals’ genetic, proteomic, physiological, and environmental effects on aquatic animals while enhancing understanding of their indirect implications for human health. This editorial consolidates the principal results of the papers in this Research Topic and emphasizes their cumulative impact on the field.
Understanding organisms’ molecular and genetic responses to heavy metals is crucial for developing biomarkers and mitigation strategies. In this context:
These researches underscore the significance of transcriptome and gene regulatory analysis in discerning adaptation mechanisms and possible biomarkers in aquatic creatures subjected to heavy metals.
In addition to genetic alterations, metal exposure causes significant physiological and metabolic disturbances:
These papers demonstrate how heavy metals disrupt physiological homeostasis and provide environmental and aquaculture management insights.
To safeguard public health, it is essential to evaluate the prevalence and hazards of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems:
These articles enhance our subject by linking environmental pollution to ecological and human health hazards.
The use of high-throughput omics technology facilitates comprehensive investigations of metal-induced damage:
Collectively, these investigations endorse the ongoing use of integrated omics to comprehend the comprehensive impact of pollutants.
This Research Topic highlights that heavy metals impact aquatic creatures at several levels, including gene expression, physiology, and ecosystem health, directly affecting human exposure and illness. Future research should prioritize long-term biomonitoring initiatives that include biomarkers across many species and ecosystems. Interdisciplinary methodologies integrating ecology, genetics, environmental chemistry, and public health. Science-informed policy-making to manage discharges and protect ecosystems.
We thank all authors and reviewers for their contributions to this significant compilation. We anticipate it will provide a basis for ongoing research and initiatives to address heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems.
AE-S: Project administration, Writing – review and editing, Writing – original draft. HA-K: Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. MA: Writing – review and editing, Writing – original draft. SZ: Writing – review and editing, Writing – original draft. JL: Writing – review and editing, Writing – original draft.
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The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
The authors declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.
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