Science of The Total Environment Impact Factor 2026: Ranking, Quartile & What It Means

Science of The Total Environment (STOTEN) has an impact factor of 8.0 according to the 2024 Journal Citation Reports — the latest official figure available in 2026. The 5-year impact factor is 8.7, which is notably higher than the 2-year figure.

Science of The Total Environment impact factor data

Source: Clarivate Journal Citation Reports, 2024 release (published June 2025). This is the most current official figure available as of 2026.

What the number means

Ranking 39th out of 374 environmental science journals puts STOTEN in the top 11% of the field. An IF of 8.0 is solid for a journal that publishes broadly across the entire environmental sciences space — pollution, ecology, sustainability, environmental health, and more.

The gap between the 2-year IF (8.0) and the 5-year IF (8.7) is notable. Papers in STOTEN accumulate citations over a longer period than the 2-year window captures. This is common for journals publishing applied environmental research, where papers serve as references in monitoring studies and regulatory work for years after publication.

Benchmark against peers

STOTEN sits in a competitive cluster of Q1 environmental journals with IFs in the 7-11 range. Compared to Environmental Pollution, Chemosphere, and Environmental Research, STOTEN has a somewhat higher IF and broader scope.

Why the 5-year IF matters more here

The 5-year IF of 8.7 is 9% higher than the 2-year IF. This means older STOTEN papers continue to receive citations at a meaningful rate. Environmental monitoring studies often become reference points for regulatory assessments and subsequent studies years after publication. For researchers whose work is likely to be cited by monitoring programs, regulatory bodies, or meta-analyses, this long citation tail is a real benefit.

What the IF doesn't tell you

Publication volume is high. STOTEN publishes thousands of papers per year. This volume means individual papers compete for attention in a crowded field. Visibility depends on how well the work is positioned for discovery by the right audience.

Scope is genuinely broad. STOTEN covers everything from nanoparticle toxicity to forest ecology to urban sustainability. This breadth means it's not a niche specialist journal — the bar for broad relevance within environmental sciences is real. Papers focused on a single highly localized pollution event without broader implications face harder review.

The IF has pulled in competition. STOTEN's IF growth has attracted more submissions. The acceptance rate has tightened accordingly. Papers that were comfortably publishable five years ago may now require clearer novelty and broader contextual framing.

Who should submit to STOTEN

Submit to STOTEN if:

• Your work addresses environmental contamination, pollution, or ecosystem health with data relevant beyond a single site
• The study uses rigorous methodology with appropriate QA/QC and quality controls
• Results have implications for environmental management, policy, or human health
• The work spans multiple environmental compartments (e.g., soil-water-biota) or exposure pathways

Consider alternatives if:

• Work is highly specialized within one subfield (Environmental Pollution or Chemosphere may be more focused and equally valued in those communities)
• The study is primarily ecological without pollution or human health connection (Ecological Indicators or similar may be better)
• The work is primarily methods development without environmental application data

CTA

STOTEN reviewers have become more demanding about novelty and broad implications as the journal's IF has grown. Manusights pre-submission review can help you assess whether your framing positions the work for STOTEN's current editorial bar.

Sources

Impact factor data from Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (2024 release, published June 2025). For submission guidelines, see STOTEN author information.

See the full Science of The Total Environment journal guide for editorial scope. Related reading:

• What is impact factor?: how the metric is calculated and what it means across fields
• How to choose the right journal: framework for environmental sciences submissions