Plastics (Macro-, Micro- and Nano-) as Vectors for Other Environmental Contaminants

Dear Colleagues,

The industrial production of plastics has exponentially increased since the 1940s due to their exceptional properties, such as their low density and high durability. However, these properties result in the elevated persistency of plastics in the environment. Micro- and nanoplastics are environmental contaminants that have received significant attention from the scientific community in the last few years. They originate from both intentional production and the breakdown of larger plastic items. Several studies demonstrated the persistent environmental contamination by microplastics, including major compartments, e.g., soil, sea, and freshwater. On the other hand, studies are increasingly reporting on the potential of both micro- and nanoplastics to interact with other contaminants and their negative impact on different organisms. However, until now, there is little and controversial information about this research topic.

Therefore, this Special Issue invites the submission of and intends to incorporate original research, case studies, or up-to-date review papers containing information about the role of plastics as vectors for other contaminants. In particular, it will welcome studies focused on specific issues:

- Evaluation of the ecotoxicity of different mixtures of plastics with other contaminants at the individual (e.g. survival, reproduction, and behavior), biochemical (e.g., DNA damage, oxidative stress and neurotransmission) and molecular (e.g., gene and protein expressions) levels;

- Ecotoxicity of these mixtures resultant from long-term exposures with special attention to multigenerational and/or transgenerational effects;

- Advances in the characterization and understanding of the biological interactions of these complexes mixtures and, therefore, biological effects;

- Abiotic characterization of these mixtures in the media of exposure (e.g., spiked soil/water) or in distinct environmental compartments;

 - Analytical methods to assess the potential binding/adsorption between plastics and the other contaminants in complex environmental contexts.

Dr. Vera Lúcia Maria
Dr. Ângela Barreto
Guest Editors

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