Fate and Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Soil and Aquatic Ecosystems

One of the key features of the Anthropocene is the revolutionary use and the unprecedented environmental emission of plastics. Once in the environment, plastics break down into smaller particles that are commonly termed as microplastics or nanoplastics, depending on their size range. Current research shows that plastic particles are found in almost all environmental compartments (i.e., soils, surface and ground waters, oceans, atmosphere); however, the extent to which they are transferred among them and their impacts on living organisms are still poorly understood. This Toxics Special Issue calls for studies aiming at improving our understanding of the fate and toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment. Authors are invited to submit original research papers, reviews, and short communications that deal with the weathering and fractioning of plastics in the environment; their movement across environmental compartments (e.g., water runoff, soil infiltration, atmospheric deposition, river transport into oceans); their uptake and effects on terrestrial and aquatic organisms; and their direct and indirect effects on ecological food webs. Special interest is devoted to studies that focus on the monitoring of nanoplastics and their potential uptake and accumulation in living organisms; studies that assess the ecological effects of environmentally relevant plastic concentrations and mixtures (accounting for polymer type, size, and shape variability); and monitoring and modeling studies that help to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of micro- and nanoplastics at wide geographic scales. Studies that investigate the chemical side of plastics, such as potentially toxic leachates, the role of plastics as chemical vectors (i.e., Trojan horse effect), or the role of plastics as transmitters of pathogens and resistance genes, are welcome as well.

Dr. Andreu Rico
Prof. Dr. Roberto Rosal
Guest Editors

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