Journal profile · Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
ISSN 0169-7722 · eISSN 1873-6009 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1986
Journal of Contaminant Hydrology: CAS Zone 3 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 5.43; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,640; median 89 days to acceptance (108 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 5%; 288 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Contaminant Hydrology is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Groundwater flow and contamination studies, Soil and Unsaturated Flow and Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry, together about 44.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Contaminant Hydrology is an international journal publishing scientific articles contributing to a broad understanding of contamination of water resources. Emphasis is placed on investigations of the physical, chemical, and biological processes influencing the behaviour and fate of organic and inorganic contaminants in the aqueous environment including ecological impacts. Water-based science, technology and management approaches that monitor, assess, control and mitigate contamination and its eco-environmental impacts at multiple scales are invited. Broad latitude is allowed in identifying contaminants of interest, and includes legacy and emerging pollutants, nutrients, nanoparticles, microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, viruses, and protozoa), microplastics, and various constituents associated with energy production (e.g., methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide).The journal's scope embraces a wide range of topics that include: surface and subsurface hydrology as it relates to contamination; experimental and computational investigations of contaminant sorption, diffusion, biological and chemical transformation, volatilization and transport in the surface and subsurface; characterization of soil and sediment properties only as they influence contaminant behaviour; development and testing of mathematical models of contaminant behaviour; innovative techniques for restoration of contaminated sites; development of new tools or techniques for monitoring the extent of soil, sediment, and water contamination; development of mathematical models and system analysis techniques for understanding and managing surface and subsurface water resources systems including hyporheic zone processes; analyses of interactions between water-use activities and the environment; carbon sequestration and turnover; and water contamination issues associated with energy production.There are some types of papers that are not suitable for submission, for example, Environmental Monitoring, Case Studies, and Method. Please find more information in the Article Types section of the Guide for Authors.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief D. BolsterPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 11 in mainland China (about 18%); most named United States 22, Mainland China 11, Canada 7, Germany 3, Italy 3 (61 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Groundwater flow and contamination studiesEnvironmental Science27.8%
- Soil and Unsaturated FlowEngineering8.8%
- Groundwater and Isotope GeochemistryEarth and Planetary Sciences8.2%
- Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir AnalysisEngineering4.9%
- Enhanced Oil Recovery TechniquesEngineering3.6%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.5%
- Radioactive element chemistry and processingChemistry3.4%
- Environmental remediation with nanomaterialsEngineering3.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
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
- 5.43LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.34LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.09LetPub ·
- h-index
- 90LetPub ·
- h-index
- 141OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,857OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 20.16%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 261LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,519 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 221 | 44 | 121 |
| 2025 | 288 | 73 | 1,276 |
| 2024 | 146 | 57 | 1,928 |
| 2023 | 105 | 32 | 1,533 |
| 2022 | 133 | 55 | 2,575 |
| 2021 | 130 | 44 | 2,358 |
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
89 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 65 days – 133 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (108 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 90 days
- Sample
- 108 articles with submission and acceptance dates (549 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)
- 5%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 48 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 102 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,640 / EUR 3,410 / GBP 2,910 / JPY 451,470 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,510 | — | — |
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 prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Highlights
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
- Not considered
- Environmental monitoring; Case studies; Methods
Article types accepted4
- case studiesCase studies. We will not publish case studies unless they provide insight into processes relevant to other sites or conditions. Thus, a paper based on a partic…Length not stated
- case studyThere are some types of papers that are not suitable for publication in the journal, namely:Environmental monitoring. We are pleased to see field data, but we d…Length not stated
- environmental monitoringEnvironmental monitoring. We are pleased to see field data, but we do not publish reports of, for example, unusual observations in the field unless they are int…Length not stated
- letterThere are some types of papers that are not suitable for publication in the journal, namely:Environmental monitoring. We are pleased to see field data, but we d…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; submissions initially assessed by editors; if suitable, sent to a minimum of two reviewers; editors make the final accept/reject decision. 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 sharing allowed; will not count as prior publication; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered. Model summary
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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1986
- ISSN
- 0169-7722
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6009
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
What CAS zone is Journal of Contaminant Hydrology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Environmental Sciences / Geosciences, Multidisciplinary / Water Resources. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Contaminant Hydrology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.43; CiteScore 8.2, h-index 141.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Contaminant Hydrology?
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 89 days (interquartile range 65–133 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 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 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; Highlights: Required; 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 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology based?
Of the 61 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 11 (about 18%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (22), Mainland China (11) and Canada (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Contaminant Hydrology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Contaminant Hydrology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Contaminant Hydrology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,640.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .