Microplastics and Microfiber Pollution in Aquatic Environments
A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 26
Special Issue Editors
Interests: carbonatic aquifers; karst systems; geochemistry; geohazards; hydrology; hydrogeology; water and soil pollution; water quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: microplastics; microfibre; water and soil pollution; karst systems; caves; habitat and species conservation; environmental sciences; subterranean biology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Microplastics and microfibres are a global concern. Microplastics, originate from the degradation of larger plastic items in the environment, or are directly released with this dimension through industrial and domestic activities. Natural, regenerated and synthetic microfibres have been detected in different environments too, as well as in organisms. While synthetic microfibres are generally detected in microplastic analyses, natural and regenerated microfibres are not taken into account, or are wrongly considered plastics. They are generally considered biodegradable even if their degradation processes in ecosystems are poorly known, and their potential faster degradation could release toxic compounds. Due to their small size, microplastics and microfibres enter rivers, lakes, and oceans, reaching also remote areas, being transported by air currents. Once into the water environments, microplastics and microfibres can be ingested a by a wide range of organisms, leading to bioaccumulation and potential biomagnification along food chains. Moreover, microplastics act as vectors for other pollutants, exacerbating their ecological impact. The mitigation of microplastic and microfibre pollution requires comprehensive strategies, including improved waste management, textile innovation, and legislative measures. Addressing this complex issue is essential to safeguarding environmental and public health.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews on microplastic and microfibre pollution in water environments are welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Adriano Fiorucci
Guest Editor
Dr. Valentina Balestra
Guest Editor Assistant
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. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.
Keywords
- microplastics
- microfibres
- water pollution
- water quality
- waste water
- water ecosystems
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
