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Microplastics
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Feature Paper in Microplastics
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Feature Paper in Microplastics

A topical collection in Microplastics (ISSN 2673-8929).

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Editor

Prof. Dr. Nicolas Kalogerakis

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
Interests: environmental applications of nanobubble technology; marine litter-fate and biodegradation of weathered plastics and microplastics; combating marine oil spills with biological means; bioremediation; phytoremediation; wastewater treatment and subsequent reuse and utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microplastics (MPs) have been found in all environmental compartments such as seawater and freshwater bodies, municipal wastewater and urban runoff, agricultural soils, sediments, and air. The level of plastic debris, mainly in the form of microplastics, in the environment is reaching unprecedented levels, and there is worldwide concern about their adverse effects on both living organisms (including humans) and the environment.

This Topic Collection of Microplastics aims to publish original articles related to the following topics: their sources, sinks, and environmental fate; potential effects on ecosystem services and human life; and mitigation measures to reduce their adverse effects. It is also vital to ensure the inclusion of articles raising public awareness and building effective science communication with all stakeholders (e.g., civil society, NGOs, government decision makers, and industry) to convey specific messages related to threats and potential opportunities to reduce microplastic impacts.

The topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • Sampling, characterization, and quantification of microplastics;
  • Microplastics and nanoplastics in soils;
  • Ocean cleanup of plastics and microplastics;
  • Marine debris and fishing gear—collection, recycling, fate, and cleanup;
  • Plastic and microplastic pollution and associated contaminants;
  • Plastic pellets in the environment—collection and mitigation;
  • Microfibers and nanoplastics from textiles;
  • Human health effects of microplastics and nanoplastics;
  • Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics and nanoplastics;
  • Biodegradable plastics and microplastics;
  • Chemical and biological recycling of waste plastics and microplastics;
  • Mitigation of micro- and nanoplastic pollution in aquatic systems;
  • Modelling fate and transport of plastics and micro- and nanoplastics in the environment;
  • Modelling of the generation of secondary microplastics;
  • Modelling of biodegradation and weathering of plastics and microplastics;
  • Legislation, policies, and economic impacts.

Alongside original research contributions and critical reviews, we encourage the submission of opinion papers, defined as short articles which reflect the author’s viewpoints on a particular subject, technique, or recent findings. Their structure is similar to that of a review, despite being significantly shorter and focused on the author’s view as opposed to a comprehensive, critical overview of current research.

Prof. Dr. Nicolas Kalogerakis
Collection 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 collection 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. Microplastics is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1200 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

  • sampling, characterization, and quantification of microplastics
  • microplastics and nanoplastics in soils
  • ocean cleanup of plastics and microplastics
  • marine debris and fishing gear—collection, recycling, fate, and cleanup
  • plastic and microplastic pollution and associated contaminants
  • plastic pellets in the environment—collection and mitigation
  • microfibers and nanoplastics from textiles
  • human health effects of microplastics and nanoplastics
  • ecotoxicological effects of microplastics and nanoplastics
  • biodegradable plastics and microplastics
  • chemical and biological recycling of waste plastics and microplastics
  • mitigation of micro- and nanoplastic pollution in aquatic systems
  • modelling fate and transport of plastics and micro- and nanoplastics in the environment
  • modelling of the generation of secondary microplastics
  • modelling of biodegradation and weathering of plastics and microplastics
  • legislation, policies, and economic impacts

Published Papers (2 papers)

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2025

24 pages, 42622 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Comparative Monitoring of Plastic and Microplastic Pollution in Lake Garda (Italy) Using Seabin During Summer–Autumn 2024
by Marco Papparotto, Claudia Gavazza, Paolo Matteotti and Luca Fambri
Microplastics 2025, 4(3), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4030044 - 28 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Plastic (P) and microplastic (MP) pollution in marine and freshwater environments is an increasingly urgent issue that needs to be addressed at many levels. The Seabin (an easily operated and cost-effective floating debris collection device) can help clean up buoyant plastic debris in [...] Read more.
Plastic (P) and microplastic (MP) pollution in marine and freshwater environments is an increasingly urgent issue that needs to be addressed at many levels. The Seabin (an easily operated and cost-effective floating debris collection device) can help clean up buoyant plastic debris in calm waters while monitoring water pollution. A Seabin was used to conduct a comparative analysis of plastic and microplastic concentrations in northern Lake Garda (Italy) during peak and low tourist seasons. The composition of the litter was further investigated using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The analysis showed a decreased mean amount of plastic from summer (32.5 mg/m3) to autumn (17.6 mg/m3), with an average number of collected microplastics per day of 45 ± 15 and 15 ± 3, respectively. Packaging and foam accounted for 92.2% of the recognized plastic waste products. The material composition of the plastic mass (442 pieces, 103.0 g) was mainly identified as polypropylene (PP, 47.1%) and polyethylene (PE, 21.8%). Moreover, 313 microplastics (approximately 2.0 g) were counted with average weight in the range of 1–16 mg. A case study of selected plastic debris was also conducted. Spectroscopic, microscopic, and thermal analysis of specimens provided insights into how aging affects plastics in this specific environment. The purpose of this study was to establish a baseline for further research on the topic, to provide guidelines for similar analyses from a multidisciplinary perspective, to monitor plastic pollution in Lake Garda, and to inform policy makers, scientists, and the public. Full article
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21 pages, 3239 KiB  
Article
Vibratory Sorting for Pumice Removal in Microplastic Analysis of Coastal Sediment
by Yusuke Yonaha, Kei Nakagawa, Ken-ichi Shimizu, Mitsuharu Yagi, Achara Ussawarujikulchai and Hiroshi Asakura
Microplastics 2025, 4(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4020030 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 480
Abstract
Density separation using a wet method is the standard technique for extracting microplastics (MPs) from coastal sediments. However, the 2021 Japanese submarine volcanic eruption introduced substantial pumice into these sediments, complicating the process. Pumice contamination in the floating matter from density separation significantly [...] Read more.
Density separation using a wet method is the standard technique for extracting microplastics (MPs) from coastal sediments. However, the 2021 Japanese submarine volcanic eruption introduced substantial pumice into these sediments, complicating the process. Pumice contamination in the floating matter from density separation significantly increases the workload of visual sorting. Pumice, distinguished by its spherical shape and hardness, exhibits distinct rolling and bouncing behaviors compared to plastic. In this study, we evaluated the sorting efficiency of a vibratory sorter in separating pumice from floating matter, comparing its performance with the existing methods. We analyzed the progressive behavior and the virtual sorting efficiency of single large- and medium-diameter particles using a vibrating plate and the actual sorting efficiency of mixed large-diameter particles. The maximum Newton’s efficiencies (ηmax) for the virtual sorting of single large-diameter pumice and plastic ranged from 0.74 to 1.00, and for medium-diameter particles, from 0.74 to 0.97. Sorting efficiency decreased with finer particles. The ηmax for the actual sorting of mixed large-diameter pumice and plastic was between 0.68 and 1.00, lower than the virtual sorting efficiency. While vibratory sorting, based on Newton’s efficiency, does not replace visual sorting, the time required for vibratory sorting is 21% of that required for visual sorting, making it valuable for estimating approximate MP quantities in coastal sediments. Additionally, this study provides a practical method for beach cleanups. Full article
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