Journal profile · Toxicology
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
ISSN 0147-6513 · eISSN 1090-2414 · Academic Press Inc. · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1977
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety: CAS Zone 2 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6.63; fully open access; APC about USD 3,630; median 133 days to acceptance (166 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 62.5%; 1,963 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is published by Academic Press Inc. and is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology, Heavy metals in environment and Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact, together about 32% of its articles. Its main subfields are Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis and Pollution. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to advancing the understanding of toxicological mechanisms underlying exposure to environmental contaminants and their effects on organisms and human health. The journal's scope encompasses three primary themes:EcotoxicologyMechanistic ecotoxicology in aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including microbes, invertebrates, vertebrates, algae, and plants. Studies at environmentally relevant concentrations are welcomeMesocosm and field studies investigating the fate, effects, and mechanisms of contaminants across diverse organisms.Mechanistic studies on exposure, bioavailability, and toxicological outcomes at environmentally relevant concentrations.Research spanning from the molecular to the whole-organism level, encompassing animal behavior to the population level, to establish causal relationships.Investigations into modes of action and in-depth mechanisms using omics, systems biology, quantitative live-cell/tissue measurements, biomarkers, histopathology, and complementary methods.Environmental SafetyStudies linking environmental contamination to wildlife health effects with causal insights (not just associations).Molecular mechanism-based toxicological studies employing cell or animal models to evaluate hazards from environmental contaminants, or to assess health and safety impacts of persistent toxic substances in the environment and food chain.Mechanistic studies of adverse effects following exposure to various contaminants at cellular and molecular levels.Exposure, toxicity, and environmental risk assessment using AI approaches — including big data, machine learning, and quantitative structure-toxicity relationship modeling—supported by experimental verification and validation.Environmental ChemistryHypothesis-driven, mechanistic studies detailing chemical speciation, transformations in the environment, or bioaccessible fractions in vivo and across environmental compartments.Investigations into mixture interactions and cocktail effects in environmental matrices, including fate and behaviour, as well as effects on organisms.Environmental forensics studies that mechanistically link the cause and effect of pollutants on organisms.Mechanistic studies on the remediation of wastewater and sludge under field conditions.Mechanistic Environmental EpidemiologyEpidemiological studies of the associations between environmental exposures and adverse human health outcomes with causal or novel insights.Mechanistic epidemiological studies of causal biological pathways linking external environmental stressors to adverse human health outcomes (not animals or cell lines).Epidemiological studies using AI approaches — including big data, machine learning, and quantitative structure-toxicity relationship modeling—supported by experimental verification.The journal publishes hypothesis-driven research with a strong emphasis on mechanistic understanding. Accordingly, the following types of routine reports fall outside the journal's scope and should not be submitted:Manuscripts presenting simple correlations between pollutants and health outcomes without establishing causal relationships.Studies on smoking/secondary smoke, indoor air pollution, or occupational exposure are out of scopeComputational studies relying solely on public databases without experimental verification and environmental relevance.Routine monitoring reports of pollutant concentrations in the environment or biota.Routine measurements of biomolecules in organisms that lack a mechanistic investigation.Routine reports of adsorption isotherms, material synthesis, catalytic reactions, remediation methods, or other well-established chemical or material phenomena.Studies on general environmental parameters affecting organism physiology—such as salt or drought effects on plants—without an explicit environmental pollution component in the study design.Agronomy studies, natural geochemistry studies, or animal bi
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Toxicology
Editor-in-chief Richard HandyPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 32 in mainland China (about 41%); most named Mainland China 32, United Kingdom 8, India 7, United States 4, South Korea 4 (78 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Environmental Toxicology and EcotoxicologyEnvironmental Science15.5%
- Heavy metals in environmentEnvironmental Science9.5%
- Toxic Organic Pollutants ImpactEnvironmental Science7.1%
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Science6.9%
- Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicalsEnvironmental Science5.8%
- Heavy Metal Exposure and ToxicityEnvironmental Science5.7%
- Air Quality and Health ImpactsEnvironmental Science4.7%
- Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental StudiesEnvironmental Science4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Toxicology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Toxicology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Toxicology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 6.63LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.51LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.26LetPub ·
- h-index
- 110LetPub ·
- h-index
- 238OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 14,200OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.19OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.94%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,918LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 20,407 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,254 | 1,254 | 828 |
| 2025 | 1,963 | 1,963 | 10,986 |
| 2024 | 1,719 | 1,719 | 23,692 |
| 2023 | 1,391 | 1,391 | 30,007 |
| 2022 | 1,323 | 1,323 | 40,149 |
| 2021 | 1,314 | 1,314 | 50,110 |
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 PubMed · to
133 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 90 days – 179 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 4 days (166 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 138 days
- Sample
- 166 articles with submission and acceptance dates (3,833 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 2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 62.5%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 53 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 112 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 17 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 3,630 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 3,650 / EUR 3,410 / GBP 2,920 / JPY 452,710 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 2,700 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,630 | — | — |
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
Article types accepted5, with length limits
- correspondenceThe journal publishes regular research articles. Regular research articles must not exceed 8,000 words. Word limit here is for text only. In principle the numbe…Length not stated
- correspondence articleCorrespondence articles must be a specific concise point on a very hot topic or controversial issue, and are not intended for short communication of partial stu…Length not stated
- regular research articleThe journal publishes regular research articles. Regular research articles must not exceed 8,000 words. Word limit here is for text only. In principle the numbe…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- review articleThe journal publishes regular research articles. Regular research articles must not exceed 8,000 words. Word limit here is for text only. In principle the numbe…Length not stated
- short communicationThe journal publishes regular research articles. Regular research articles must not exceed 8,000 words. Word limit here is for text only. In principle the numbe…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1977
- ISSN
- 0147-6513
- Electronic ISSN
- 1090-2414
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
What CAS zone is Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Toxicology / Environmental Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.63; CiteScore 10.5, h-index 238.
How long does peer review take at Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety?
Based on the dates recorded on 166 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 133 days (interquartile range 90–179 days); authors report an average review time of about 2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 62.5%”. 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 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words. 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 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety based?
Of the 78 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 32 (about 41%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (32), United Kingdom (8) and India (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety open access, and what is the APC?
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,630.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .