Journal profile · Engineering, Environmental
Environmental Chemistry Letters
ISSN 1610-3653 · eISSN 1610-3661 · Springer International Publishing · GERMANY · Quarterly · Founded 2003
Environmental Chemistry Letters: CAS Zone 2 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 25.59; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 203 days to acceptance (84 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 86 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Environmental Chemistry Letters is published by Springer International Publishing 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 Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques, Advanced oxidation water treatment and Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts, together about 21.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Pollution. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Environmental Chemistry Letters covers the interfaces of geology, chemistry, physics and biology. Articles published here are of high importance to the study of natural and engineered environments. The journal publishes original and review articles of outstanding significance on such topics as the characterization of natural and affected environments; behavior, prevention, treatment and control of mineral, organic and radioactive pollutants; interfacial studies involving media such as soil, sediment, water, air, organism, and food; green chemistry, environmentally friendly synthetic pathways, and alternative fuels; ecotoxicology and risk assessment; environmental processes and modelling; environmental technologies, remediation and control; environmental analytical chemistry, biomolecular tools and tracers.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Environmental
Editor-in-chief Jie HanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 20 in mainland China (about 50%); most named Mainland China 20, France 4, United Kingdom 3, United States 2, India 2 (40 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesEnergy8%
- Advanced oxidation water treatmentEnvironmental Science6.9%
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Science6.9%
- Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalEnvironmental Science6.4%
- Microplastics and Plastic PollutionEnvironmental Science6%
- Heavy metals in environmentEnvironmental Science5.7%
- Toxic Organic Pollutants ImpactEnvironmental Science4.8%
- Nanoparticles: synthesis and applicationsMaterials 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 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | 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 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
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
- 25.59LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 25.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 22.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 49.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 4.33LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 4.24LetPub ·
- h-index
- 50LetPub ·
- h-index
- 192OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,671OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 32.37OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 27.9%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 79LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,400,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,018 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 | 17 | 21 |
| 2025 | 86 | 35 | 1,244 |
| 2024 | 125 | 47 | 6,730 |
| 2023 | 128 | 57 | 11,291 |
| 2022 | 188 | 73 | 18,013 |
| 2021 | 220 | 71 | 21,757 |
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
203 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 130 days – 264 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 22 days (84 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 225 days
- Sample
- 84 articles with submission and acceptance dates (147 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 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 3,190 / EUR 5,190 | — | — |
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- accountAn Account summarizes the innovative contribution of 1-3 senior authors on a defined topic. Manuscripts are submitted in response to an invitation or in respons…Length not stated
- commentA Comment presents scientific news and opinions on urgent, innovative or controversial topics, written in a journalistic style and supported by key literature t…Length not stated
- editorialAn Editorial is a short, opinion-like manuscript on urgent, innovative or controversial topics, written in a journalistic style and supported by key literature …Length not stated
- letterLetter and Article present outstanding findings of theoretical, methodological, mechanistical or exploratory interest. Results of routine, incremental or applie…Length not stated
- letter, articleLetter and Article present outstanding findings of theoretical, methodological, mechanistical or exploratory interest. Results of routine, incremental or applie…Length not stated
- methodA Method manuscript presents detailed, novel or improved experimental procedures, and performance comparison of established methods. Manuscripts should show rig…Length not stated
- reviewA Review is an in-depth analysis of a timely research topic written by scientists with a proven record of research results. Manuscripts are submitted in respons…abstract ≤ 300 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
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 Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
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
ORCID required for corresponding author at submission. Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Environmental Chemistry Letters, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Peer review type: single-blind. Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process. Back to top
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 International Publishing
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2003
- ISSN
- 1610-3653
- Electronic ISSN
- 1610-3661
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 24, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Environmental Chemistry Letters
What CAS zone is Environmental Chemistry Letters in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Environmental Chemistry Letters is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Chemistry, Multidisciplinary / Environmental Sciences / Engineering, Environmental. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Environmental Chemistry Letters?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 25.59; CiteScore 49.9, h-index 192.
How long does peer review take at Environmental Chemistry Letters?
Based on the dates recorded on 84 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 203 days (interquartile range 130–264 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. 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 Environmental Chemistry Letters?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Environmental Chemistry Letters based?
Of the 40 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 20 (about 50%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (20), France (4) and United Kingdom (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Environmental Chemistry Letters?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Environmental Chemistry Letters is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Environmental Chemistry Letters open access, and what is the APC?
Environmental Chemistry Letters is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
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: .