Microplastics, PFAS, and Emerging Contaminants Across Mobility Environments and Public Health

Human mobility, including daily commuting, long-distance travel, and freight transport, plays a central role in shaping environmental health risks. Transport systems do not only expose people to existing pollutants: they generate, accumulate, and disperse microplastics, PFAS, and a growing range of emerging contaminants through mechanisms specific to vehicle components, road materials, and transport infrastructure. While traffic-related air pollution and noise have long been recognized as major concerns, emerging evidence points to additional, less visible contaminants associated with transport systems. This Research Topic expands the traditional scope of transport-related environmental health to include microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other emerging contaminants, with a central focus on their implications for human health.Microplastics are increasingly detected in roadside air, dust, stormwater runoff, and even vehicle cabin filters, originating from tire wear, brake abrasion, road marking paints, and interior materials. PFAS are widely used in vehicle components (e.g., wiring, sealants, upholstery treatments) and in asphalt additives, yet their release into the environment and subsequent human exposure via commuting or living near transport corridors remain poorly understood. Other emerging contaminants such as organophosphate flame retardants, bisphenols from vehicle interiors, and tire-derived chemicals like 6PPD-quinone further complicate the exposure landscape.This collection invites original research, reviews, and short communications that address human mobility, transport-related exposures, and their public health implications, with a specific focus on microplastics, PFAS, and contaminants generated or dispersed by transport systems. To be within scope, submissions must go beyond describing contaminant levels in environmental samples and establish a clear link to human exposure, health risk, or health outcomes. Manuscripts limited to the measurement or characterization of contaminants in environmental media, without addressing exposure pathways or public health relevance, fall outside the scope of this collection and are better suited to journals or sections focused on environmental sciences.We welcome studies on:• Human exposure assessment (inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact) among commuters, transport workers, and residents near transport infrastructure, including biomonitoring of internal contaminant loads.• Toxicological and epidemiological evidence on health outcomes (respiratory, endocrine, developmental, carcinogenic) related to transport-sourced emerging contaminants.• Links between mobility patterns (e.g., active transport, public transit, private vehicles) and internal or external contaminant loads, where findings are framed around resulting health risk.• Detection, characterization, and quantification of transport-derived contaminants in mobility microenvironments (vehicles, stations, roadsides, near airports or ports), provided findings are directly connected to human exposure or health risk assessment.• Transport as a vector for dispersal of emerging contaminants across regions, with attention to implications for population health.• Mitigation strategies, policy interventions, and technological innovations to reduce transport-derived human exposures and associated health risks.We particularly encourage interdisciplinary contributions bridging environmental chemistry, exposure science, transport engineering, urban planning, and public health, provided that human health remains the central outcome of interest. Submissions on underrepresented regions, vulnerable populations (e.g., children, elderly, occupational drivers), and low- or middle-income countries are strongly encouraged.All manuscripts will undergo rigorous peer review. This collection aims to provide a critical knowledge base for future environmental health guidelines and sustainable mobility policies. Topic editors: Christian Ebere Enyoh, Robert A Canales, Riaz Agahi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83313/microplastics-pfas-and-emerging-contaminants-across-mobility-environments-and-public-health