Microplastics in Aquatic Systems: Environmental Fate, Exposure Pathways, and Public Health Concerns
A Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601) belonging to the section "Environmental Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 382
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Microplastics have become ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic systems across the globe, spanning marine, freshwater, wastewater, and drinking water environments. Their small size, persistence, and diverse polymer compositions enable complex environmental fate and transport processes, including fragmentation, dispersion, sedimentation, resuspension, and long-range transport. In aquatic environments, microplastics can interact with natural organic matter, microorganisms, and co-occurring contaminants such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and pharmaceuticals, potentially altering their mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity.
Growing evidence indicates that human exposure to microplastics occurs through multiple pathways, including the consumption of contaminated drinking water and aquatic food products, particularly seafood, as well as indirect exposure through urban water cycles and indoor–outdoor environmental interactions. Once internalized, microplastics may act as physical stressors or vectors for chemical additives and pathogenic microorganisms, raising concerns regarding their potential effects on human health. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding exposure levels, particle characteristics relevant to toxicity, dose–response relationships, and long-term health outcomes.
This Special Issue aims to provide an interdisciplinary platform that bridges environmental science, exposure assessment, toxicology, and public health. It welcomes original research and review articles that enhance understanding of the sources, environmental behavior, exposure pathways, and health implications of microplastics in aquatic systems. By integrating mechanistic insights with applied risk and policy perspectives, this Special Issue seeks to support the development of evidence-based risk assessment frameworks, regulatory strategies, and mitigation measures to address microplastic pollution and protect public health.
Contributions may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Sources and distribution of microplastics in aquatic systems;
- Environmental fate and transport processes in water bodies and sediments;
- Microplastics in drinking water and water treatment systems;
- Microplastics in aquatic food webs and seafood;
- Human exposure pathways and exposure assessment;
- Toxicological effects and human health implications;
- Risk assessment and public health perspectives;
- Policy, regulation, and management strategies.
Dr. Anh Tuan Ta
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 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.
Keywords
- microplastics
- aquatic systems
- environmental fate and transport
- exposure pathways
- human health risk
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