Journal profile · Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Biodegradation
ISSN 0923-9820 · eISSN 1572-9729 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Bimonthly · Founded 1990
Biodegradation: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.21; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,590; median 86 days to acceptance (108 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 132 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Biodegradation is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants, Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal and Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental Studies, together about 36.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Pollution. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Biodegradation publishes papers, reviews, and mini-reviews on all aspects of science pertaining to the cellular transport, biotransformation, detoxification, mineralization of chemicals or waste materials by naturally occurring microbial strains, microbial associations, or recombinant organisms. Key areas include the development and assessment of sustainable biotechnology, microbial ecological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in degradation, and the regulation and process optimization of biodegradative systems. Submissions of manuscripts describing fundamental studies and novel discoveries are highly encouraged. Biodegradation does not publish routine case studies or results of biotreatment demonstrations that do not present new concepts or novel observations. Scope and Areas of Interest includes: Bioremediation: Innovative studies on the use of microbial strains, consortia, or recombinant organisms for the cleanup of traditional or emerging pollutants and recovery of contaminated environments, including soil, water, and sewage. Special emphasis is placed on remediation approaches that integrate sustainability principles, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance ecosystem resilience. Sustainable Biotechnology: Development and application of microbial and biochemical technologies for sustainable waste management, recycling, and resource recovery. Research on methods for the sustainable assessment of biodegradative systems. Environmental Microbiology and Ecology: Research on microbial community dynamics, interactions, and functional roles in natural and engineered ecosystems, particularly under environmentally relevant conditions such as realistic contaminant concentrations, temperature, pH, and other matrix constituents. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Degradation Pathways: Detailed investigations into the novel enzymatic mechanisms, regulatory networks, and genetic adaptations that underlie the breakdown and transformation of organic and inorganic compounds, including traditional and emerging pollutants. Biodegradation of Emerging Pollutants: Cellular transport, transformation, detoxification, and mineralization processes of emerging pollutants such as disinfection by-products, microplastics, pharmaceutical and personal care products, and persistent organic chemicals, through naturally occurring or artificially constructed microbial strains or consortia, as well as the physiological metabolic responses and enzymatic reaction mechanisms inv
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Editor-in-chief He-Ping ZhaoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 7 in mainland China (about 23%); most named United States 11, Mainland China 7, Germany 3, Hong Kong, China 2, South Korea 2 (30 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactantsEnvironmental Science21.4%
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen RemovalEnvironmental Science8.9%
- Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental StudiesEnvironmental Science6.2%
- Enzyme-mediated dye degradationAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.6%
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Toxic Organic Pollutants ImpactEnvironmental Science4.5%
- Microplastics and Plastic PollutionEnvironmental Science4.4%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexMEDLINECASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.21LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 71LetPub ·
- h-index
- 113OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,523OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.54OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 17.62%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 130LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 236,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,078 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 139 | 17 | 113 |
| 2025 | 132 | 33 | 652 |
| 2024 | 45 | 8 | 353 |
| 2023 | 55 | 16 | 831 |
| 2022 | 39 | 9 | 548 |
| 2021 | 46 | 11 | 1,063 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
86 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 58 days – 126 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 11 days (108 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 97 days
- Sample
- 108 articles with submission and acceptance dates (276 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,590 / EUR 2,790 / GBP 2,390 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- mini reviewMini Reviews Mini reviews should be short updates (3-5 journal pages) concerning the very latest progress in any field covered by BIODEGRADATION. Please send qu…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Competing interests disclosure required Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Biodegradation, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Reviewer suggestions allowed Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1990
- ISSN
- 0923-9820
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-9729
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Biodegradation
What CAS zone is Biodegradation in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Biodegradation is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Biodegradation?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.21; CiteScore 5, h-index 113.
How long does peer review take at Biodegradation?
Based on the dates recorded on 108 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 86 days (interquartile range 58–126 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Biodegradation?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Biodegradation based?
Of the 30 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 7 (about 23%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (11), Mainland China (7) and Germany (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Biodegradation?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Biodegradation is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, MEDLINE, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Biodegradation open access, and what is the APC?
Biodegradation is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,590.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .