Marine Microplastics Pollution

Dear Colleagues,

Plastic debris and microplastics are an urgent problem in environmental pollution. Many sources have been identified (tyres, cosmetic products, city dust, marine coatings, etc.), but, in particular, microplastics with fiber shape (MFs) shedding from synthetic fabrics during washing represents a substantial percentage of microplastics in rivers and in oceans. Several studies have used different methodologies for the sampling, pre-treatment, identification, and quantification of microfilaments, but clear comparisons are difficult, because there are no standard protocols to follow for microfiber preparation and for their evaluation in real samples. Moreover, a few researchers have proposed mitigation solutions in order to reduce textile microplastic release and its impact on the environment. Another challenge is the design of new production processes and products that are environmentally friendly.

In this context, this Special Issue invites original scientific contributions on topics including, without being limited to, the following:

• Textile microfilaments or microfibre with fibre shape (MFs)—a predominant source of microplastic pollution identified in water, the atmosphere, and soil emvironment.
• Accumulation of MFs in marine ecosystem: different types and the study of their degradation in natural environments or by simulation lab tests in the long run.
• Sampling, characterization, pre-treatment, recovery, and counting of microplastics coming from textile waste water in relation to different synthetic fibers
• Evaluation of MFs in the marine environment: model for estimation
• Microplastic release from textiles: comparison of analytical methodologies of identification and quantification
• Environmental impact of mitigation treatments, such as innovative textile finishing, to reduce microplastic release
• Ecodesign of textile products to decrease MFs shedding

Dr. Raffaella Mossotti
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• marine litter
• synthetic textiles
• microfibers (MFs)
• textile wastewater
• mitigation effect
• microplastic analysis: identification and quantification methods
• environmental impact of textile mitigation processes