Science of the Total Environment

An International Journal for Scientific Research into the Environment and its Relationship with Humankind

Science of the Total Environment is an international multi-disciplinary natural science journal for publication of novel, hypothesis-driven and high-impact research on the total environment, which interfaces the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere.



STOTEN's Aims & Scope has been updated - we invite contributions of original and high quality interdisciplinary environmental research papers of broad impact. Studies significantly advancing fundamental understanding and that focus on the interconnection of multiple spheres will be given primary consideration. Field studies have preference, while papers describing laboratory experiments must demonstrate significant advances in methodology or mechanistic understanding with a clear connection to the environment. Descriptive, repetitive, incremental or regional-scale studies with limited novelty will not be considered.

1) Subject areas may include, but are not limited to:
• Air quality, atmospheric conditions, and new understanding of their role in adverse health or environmental outcomes
• Atmospheric biogeochemistry
• Ecosystem services and life cycle assessment
• Ecotoxicology and risk assessment
• Eco-hydrology
• Wildlife and contaminants
• Environmental impacts of climate change, agriculture, forestry, and land uses
• Environmental impacts of waste or wastewater treatment
• Drinking water contaminants and health implications
• Environmental remediation of soil and groundwater
• Global change-induced extreme events and environmental impacts
• Groundwater hydrogeochemistry and modeling
• Nanomaterials, microplastics, and other emerging contaminants
• Novel contaminant (bio)monitoring and risk assessment approaches
• Remote sensing and big data applications in multiple spheres
• Stress ecology in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems
• Trace metals and organics in biogeochemical cycles
• Water quality and security

• Critical reviews or Discussion on current or emerging topics

• Fast-track submissions reporting ground-breaking discoveries with immediate impact

2) Types of submissions not to be considered:
• Papers not contributing significant new knowledge to the field of study
• Treatment/technology/engineering studies that do not demonstrate direct environmental effects or benefits
• Disciplinary studies with limited environmental relevance
• Local or regional scale case studies lacking international relevance
• Soil or plant science studies without environmental implications
• Laboratory batch experiments without an application component, e.g., batch sorption experiments, preparation, and evaluation of sorbents or catalysts for contaminant removal, or controlled laboratory experiments not using environmentally relevant concentrations
• Manuscripts that are primarily data reports without a substantial hypothesis, e.g., monitoring of common contaminants
• Modelling studies without calibration and data validation
• Papers of social science in nature on economics, sociology, psychology, political science, policy, planning and/or management
• Toxicology and ecotoxicology studies testing single chemicals in bench-scale assays
• Human health studies that do not provide significant additional understanding of pollution induced health outcomes
• Papers covering exposures, health effects, and control measures in occupational settings
• Method development papers on common contaminants
• Bibliometric analysis-based papers
• Papers that describe data analysis methods including machine learning that do not provide new scientific insights into the system from which the data were collected.
• Development and/or implementation of renewable energy (e.g., wind, solar) that do not directly affect an environmental system.

Please DO NOT ask the Editors-in-Chief for permission before submitting a manuscript. Kindly check the guidelines to determine whether your manuscript is within the scope of the journal; if yes, please go ahead and submit it.