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 July 2026 | Viewed by 2216
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; microfiber; water and soil pollution; karst systems; caves; habitat and species conservation; environmental sciences; subterranean biology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Microplastics and microfibers 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 microfibers have been detected in different environments too, as well as in organisms. While synthetic microfibers are generally detected in microplastic analyses, natural and regenerated microfibers 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 microfibers enter rivers, lakes, and oceans, reaching also remote areas, being transported by air currents. Once into the water environments, microplastics and microfibers 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 microfiber 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 microfiber 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
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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 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
- microfibers
- water pollution
- water quality
- waste water
- water ecosystems
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