Journal of Hazardous Materials Review Guide

Short answer

The Journal of Hazardous Materials is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Elsevier that assesses research on hazardous substances through a single-anonymized peer review system and is indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus.

Founded in 1975, the Journal of Hazardous Materials publishes research addressing the environmental hazards and risks of substances alongside advanced remediation technologies. It is published under ISSN 0304-3894 (print), ISSN 1873-3336 (electronic), CODEN JHMAD9, and the NLM title abbreviation J Hazard Mater. In testing workflows, researchers correlate journal protocols with standard environmental controls such as laboratory environmental monitoring programs and tracking methods described in our guide on sample chain of custody for research labs.

How the Journal of Hazardous Materials’ peer review works

Elsevier manages peer review for the Journal of Hazardous Materials using a single-anonymized (single-blind) model. External peer reviewers evaluate manuscripts knowing the authors’ names, institutional affiliations, and biographies, while reviewer identities remain confidential and undisclosed to authors.

Submissions proceed through the Editorial Manager portal. Incoming manuscripts undergo initial technical checks followed by editorial triage by an Associate Editor or Senior Editor. Editors assess whether submissions match journal scope, present novel mechanisms rather than routine monitoring, and examine realistic contaminant concentrations. Submissions lacking environmental relevance are rejected prior to external review. Qualified manuscripts are assigned to two or more independent external referees who evaluate technical rigor, data validity, and analytical methodology.

What is peer reviewed and what is not

The Journal of Hazardous Materials publishes several manuscript categories governed by specific evaluation rules in the Guide for Authors:

• Research Papers: Full-length empirical studies reporting original findings. Submissions require 3 to 5 Highlights (maximum 85 characters each), a Graphical Abstract, a 200–250 word Abstract, 1 to 7 keywords, and a formal CRediT author statement. All Research Papers undergo full external peer review.
• Review Articles: In-depth syntheses of published literature on hazardous chemical management or remediation technologies, subject to full external peer review.
• Short Communications: Focused contributions detailing urgent preliminary findings, subject to external peer review.
• Editorials: Essays and policy statements authored by editorial leadership outlining standards or thematic topics; these do not undergo external peer review.
• Letters to the Editor: Brief discussions commenting on published articles, evaluated by editorial staff.
• Corrigenda: Formal errata detailing technical corrections to published articles, reviewed directly by the handling editor.

Indexing and recognised lists

The indexing coverage of the Journal of Hazardous Materials across recognized international indexes includes:

• MEDLINE / PubMed: Fully indexed for MEDLINE under NLM ID 9422688, with continuous coverage from 1999 (volume 64, issue 1) onward under Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) for Hazardous Substances.
• Web of Science: Indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) within Environmental Sciences and Civil Engineering.
• Scopus: Indexed continuously under publisher Elsevier BV.
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): The primary Journal of Hazardous Materials is not in the DOAJ because it operates under a hybrid subscription model. Authors may choose open access via Elsevier’s Author Choice program, as discussed in our guide to open access publishing models. In contrast, its sister publication, Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances (ISSN 2772-4166), is a gold open-access journal indexed in the DOAJ.
• Crossref and OpenAlex: Crossref catalogs over 43,200 registered DOIs. OpenAlex records (source ID S145089992) document more than 43,800 works, over 2.5 million citations, and an h-index of 432.

How to check a specific article yourself

Researchers and laboratory evaluators can verify the authenticity and review status of an article using four verification steps:

1. Verify the Crossref DOI: Check the article’s digital object identifier (Elsevier prefix 10.1016/j.jhazmat.). Query the identifier in the Crossref DOI database to confirm Elsevier BV is the publisher of record.
2. Confirm MEDLINE Indexing in PubMed: Search PubMed using the article title to verify it displays a valid PMID and lists the official abbreviation J Hazard Mater.
3. Verify Sister Journal Identity and Category: Check the article header to confirm whether it was published in the primary Journal of Hazardous Materials or a sister title such as Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, and verify it is designated as a peer-reviewed “Research Paper” or “Review Article”.
4. Inspect Quality Control Data: Review the Methods section and Supporting Information to verify analytical calibration standards and quality assurance benchmarks.

Controversies and retractions

Elsevier is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follows established protocols when data integrity issues arise. When inquiries identify data duplication, manipulation, or irreproducible findings, the journal initiates evaluations in accordance with COPE guidelines.

If fatal errors are confirmed, Elsevier publishes a formal Retraction Notice. The retraction notice receives a persistent DOI, explains the basis for withdrawal, links to the original publication, and is recorded in Crossref and the Retraction Watch database.

Frequently asked questions

What is the impact factor of the Journal of Hazardous Materials?

The Journal of Hazardous Materials receives its official Journal Impact Factor through Clarivate’s annual Journal Citation Reports within the Science Citation Index Expanded. In open bibliometric databases such as OpenAlex, the journal demonstrates high citation volume, maintaining a 2-year mean citedness exceeding 11 and an h-index of 432 across more than 43,000 works.

What are some examples of hazardous materials?

Hazardous materials encompass substances posing substantial risk to human health or the environment. Common categories in research and testing include toxic heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic), persistent organic pollutants (such as PFAS), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), flammable solvents, corrosive acids and bases, reactive oxidizers, and hazardous industrial electronic waste residues.

Is the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances a Q1 or Q2 journal?

Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances (ISSN 2772-4166) is an open-access sister journal launched by Elsevier in 2021. In citation metrics such as Scopus and SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), it achieved top-tier Q1 status in Environmental Science and Waste Management as its publication and citation volume matured.

What is the abbreviation for hazardous materials?

In safety, transportation, and emergency response frameworks, the operational acronym for hazardous materials is HAZMAT (or hazmat). In academic indexing, the official NLM and ISO 4 journal title abbreviation for the Journal of Hazardous Materials is J Hazard Mater (or J. Hazard. Mater.).

Sources

• National Library of Medicine (NLM) Catalog, “Journal of hazardous materials” (NLM ID 9422688, ISSN 0304-3894, electronic ISSN 1873-3336): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/9422688 (checked 2026-11-08)
• OpenAlex Bibliographic Source Record S145089992, “Journal of Hazardous Materials”: https://api.openalex.org/sources/S145089992 (checked 2026-11-08)
• OpenAlex Bibliographic Source Record S4210197718, “Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances”: https://api.openalex.org/sources/S4210197718 (checked 2026-11-08)
• Crossref Journal Record for ISSN 0304-3894 (Elsevier): https://api.crossref.org/journals/0304-3894 (checked 2026-11-08)
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Journal Record for ISSN 2772-4166: https://doaj.org/ (checked 2026-11-08)
• Elsevier, “Guide for Authors: Journal of Hazardous Materials”: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-hazardous-materials/publish/guide-for-authors (checked 2026-11-08)
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Core Practices: https://publicationethics.org/ (checked 2026-11-08)