What is the impact factor of Science of The Total Environment?

Science of The Total Environment has an impact factor of 8.0 (2024). This places it as a respected journal with Science of The Total Environment is a leading broad environmental journal covering all aspects of environmental science and engineering.

How long does Sci. Total Environment take to review?

Science of The Total Environment typically takes ~60 days to first decision. The full review process involves 6 main stages: prepare manuscript with environmental context, submit via elsevier editorial manager, and peer review.

All Journal Guides

Journal Guide

Science of The Total Environment Impact Factor 8.0: Publishing Guide

Q: What is the acceptance rate of Science of The Total Environment?

Science of The Total Environment has an acceptance rate of ~18%. A common reason for rejection is laboratory results without environmental context. A lab study showing a chemical can be oxidized or removed isn't publication-ready unless you connect it to actual environmental conditions. Field validation or at minimum realistic simulation is expected.

Q: Is Science of The Total Environment peer reviewed?

Yes, Science of The Total Environment is fully peer reviewed. All submissions undergo rigorous peer review by 2-3 reviewers with field expertise. They assess environmental relevance, data quality, statistical rigor, and practical applicability. Reviewers are often practitioners in environmental monitoring or remediation..

Q: What does Sci. Total Environment look for in submissions?

Real environmental problems, not just laboratory chemistry: Science of The Total Environment wants research motivated by actual environmental challenges - not abstract curiosity. If your work addresses pollution, contamination, or ecological impact, articulate that connection clearly.

Q: What should I know before submitting to Sci. Total Environment?

Field studies are more competitive than lab studies. Science of The Total Environment values environmental relevance. Papers with field measurements or real-world validation are more likely to be accepted than purely laboratory work.

Interdisciplinary environmental science from air to water to soil - rigorous, global perspective.

8.0

Impact Factor (2024)

~18%

Acceptance Rate

~60 days to first decision

Time to First Decision

What Sci. Total Environment Publishes

Science of The Total Environment is a leading broad environmental journal covering all aspects of environmental science and engineering. It publishes research on pollution (air, water, soil), toxicology, environmental health, climate change, sustainability, and remediation. The journal emphasizes quantitative research with real-world environmental relevance, not just laboratory demonstrations.

Air, water, and soil quality research with environmental or health implications
Pollution sources, transport, transformation, and environmental fate
Toxicology and ecotoxicology demonstrating environmental hazards
Climate change impacts and mitigation strategies
Waste management, remediation, and circular economy approaches
Environmental monitoring techniques and analytical methods
Environmental health linkages to exposure pathways

Editor Insight

“We publish research that solves environmental problems. If your work is purely academic - a nice lab study with no connection to pollution or environmental hazards - it's not right for us. But if you've measured contamination in the field, designed a treatment system that works in real conditions, or shown how a pollutant behaves in environmental matrices, we want to see it. The best papers are the ones where authors think like environmental professionals, not just chemists or biologists. What would an environmental consultant do with this information?”

What Sci. Total Environment Editors Look For

Real environmental problems, not just laboratory chemistry

Science of The Total Environment wants research motivated by actual environmental challenges - not abstract curiosity. If your work addresses pollution, contamination, or ecological impact, articulate that connection clearly.

Quantitative data with clear environmental relevance

Your measurements or models must relate to actual environmental conditions or outcomes. Lab experiments showing a chemical can be detected are less interesting than field studies showing it's accumulating in ecosystems.

Appropriate methodology for environmental systems

Environmental systems are complex. Your methods must account for real-world conditions - temperature variation, matrix effects, competing processes. Oversimplified experiments underestimate the journal's expectations.

Clear explanation of why this matters for the environment

Connect your findings to environmental outcomes. Does this pollution matter for human health? For ecosystem function? For policy decisions? Show the practical significance.

Integration of multiple approaches when relevant

Environmental problems often need multiple lines of evidence - field observations, lab experiments, modeling. Combining these approaches strengthens papers significantly.

Honest assessment of limitations and uncertainties

Environmental systems have inherent variability and complexity. Acknowledging uncertainty and limitations builds credibility more than overstating precision.

Why Papers Get Rejected

These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Sci. Total Environment's editorial review:

Laboratory results without environmental context

A lab study showing a chemical can be oxidized or removed isn't publication-ready unless you connect it to actual environmental conditions. Field validation or at minimum realistic simulation is expected.

Poor statistical analysis or inadequate replication

Environmental studies often deal with complex matrices. Your statistical approach must account for this complexity. Single replicate studies don't meet standards.

Ignoring background concentrations or confounding factors

Environmental measurements need proper controls. Not accounting for background levels or natural variability is a common rejection reason.

Unclear environmental relevance or artificial scenarios

If your experimental conditions don't mimic real environmental systems (pH, temperature, dissolved organic matter, competing ions), results have limited applicability.

Inadequate comparison to existing remediation or mitigation approaches

If you're proposing a solution, how does it compare to what's already used? Cost, effectiveness, practicality matter.

Weak discussion of policy or management implications

Science of The Total Environment readers want actionable findings. Discuss what environmental managers or policymakers should do with your results.

Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?

The quick diagnostic reads your full manuscript against Sci. Total Environment's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.

Run Free Readiness Scan →

Insider Tips from Sci. Total Environment Authors

Field studies are more competitive than lab studies

Science of The Total Environment values environmental relevance. Papers with field measurements or real-world validation are more likely to be accepted than purely laboratory work.

Environmental monitoring and remediation papers are strong

Research addressing actual pollution issues - contaminated sites, wastewater treatment, air quality improvement - aligns well with journal priorities.

Coupling field data with modeling strengthens papers

Combining environmental measurements with predictive models (fate and transport, exposure assessment) creates comprehensive submissions.

Global perspective appreciated but local relevance essential

The journal is international, but papers need to address specific environmental challenges. Generic results about pollution don't publish well.

Open access option available

Science of The Total Environment offers paid open access. Making your environmental data publicly available increases impact and citations.

Supplementary data should include raw measurements

Environmental science readers want to see actual data. Include monitoring records, lab replicates, raw field measurements in supplements.

Uncertainty quantification matters

Environmental research inherently has variability. Quantifying uncertainty - detection limits, sampling variability, model uncertainty - is expected.

Sustainability angle helps but must be genuine

Research addressing sustainable solutions gets favorable consideration, but it must be real environmental sustainability, not marketing language.

The Sci. Total Environment Submission Process

Prepare manuscript with environmental context

N/A - preparation phase

Write introduction emphasizing the environmental problem you're addressing. Include field conditions, real-world concentrations, and actual regulatory drivers. Complete methods with environmental parameters (pH ranges, temperatures, organic matter levels).

Submit via Elsevier Editorial Manager

Submission step

Use the journal's online submission portal. Select appropriate subject area (air, water, soil, toxicology, etc.). Suggest 4-5 expert reviewers in environmental science or engineering. Note: SCI requires appropriate ethical approval for human/animal studies.

Editorial screening for scope and quality

7-14 days

Editor reviews for environmental relevance and methodological appropriateness. About 30-40% of submissions pass initial screening and go to peer review. Desk rejections cite lack of environmental significance or weak methodology.

Peer review by environmental experts

40-60 days

2-3 reviewers with field expertise. They assess environmental relevance, data quality, statistical rigor, and practical applicability. Reviewers are often practitioners in environmental monitoring or remediation.

Revision or rejection

15-30 days for author revisions

Most papers get major revisions (additional analysis, more field data, better environmental justification). Minor revision is less common. Revised papers typically don't go back to reviewers unless major changes needed.

Acceptance and online publication

2-3 weeks to online publication

Once accepted, fast production timeline. Papers appear online in Elsevier's Science Direct within 2-3 weeks. Print version follows monthly.

Sci. Total Environment by the Numbers

2024 Impact Factor(Clarivate JCR 2024)	8.0
5-Year Impact Factor	8.7
CiteScore (Scopus)	15.8
Submissions per year	~8,000
Overall acceptance rate	~18%
Desk rejection rate	~30-40%
Post-review acceptance	~25-35% of reviewed manuscripts
Median first decision	~60 days
Median acceptance to publication	~120 days total
Founded(Elsevier; flagship environmental science journal)	1974
Publication frequency	Multiple issues per month
ISSN	0048-9697

Before you submit

Sci. Total Environment accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.

The pre-submission diagnostic runs a live literature search, scores your manuscript section by section, and gives you a prioritized fix list calibrated to Sci. Total Environment. ~30 minutes.

Run Free Readiness Scan See a sample report

Article Types

Research Article

6,000-10,000 words

Original environmental research with complete data and analysis. Typically 6,000-10,000 words with field measurements, lab analysis, or modeling results directly relevant to environmental systems.

Short Communication

~3,500 words maximum

Brief reports of preliminary findings or novel environmental observations. Faster review and publication. Allows for shorter environmental studies.

Review Article

~10,000-15,000 words

Comprehensive surveys of environmental topics. Usually by invitation, but unsolicited reviews on emerging environmental problems occasionally accepted.

Landmark Sci. Total Environment Papers

Papers that defined fields and changed science:

Microplastics distribution in marine environments - establishing the scope of a global pollution problem
PFOA/PFOS contamination in drinking water - connecting emerging contaminants to health outcomes
Soil heavy metal accumulation in industrial areas - environmental and food chain implications
Pharmaceutical residues in wastewater treatment - persistence and removal mechanisms
Air quality improvement from emission reductions - demonstrating real-world environmental benefits

Preparing a Sci. Total Environment Submission?

Get pre-submission feedback from reviewers who've published in Sci. Total Environment and know exactly what editors look for.

Run Free Readiness Scan

Need expert depth? Human review from $1,000

NDA-protected

Confidential

Primary Fields

Air Quality and Atmospheric ScienceWater Pollution and Aquatic ToxicologySoil Contamination and RemediationWaste ManagementClimate Change and SustainabilityEnvironmental HealthToxicology and Ecotoxicology

Related Journal Guides

All journal guides

All articles

Ready to submit to Sci. Total Environment?

A desk rejection costs months. Get expert feedback before you submit, from scientists who know exactly what Sci. Total Environment editors look for.

Need field-expert depth? Human review from $1,000