Microplastics Pollution

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, one of the most contentious environmental issues has been the investigation of microplastics’ (MPs’) detrimental consequences in natural and water resources worldwide. In this regard, it is critical to, firstly, track the ways in which MPs are considered as key anthropocentric pollutants in terms of ecological risk and to, secondly, plan feasible policies under which the role of science and society in tackling this global issue in the future should be prioritized. In this research topic, a wide spectrum of systematic, theoretical, technical, and planning analyses are welcomed in alignment with the following points:

• Scientific interest in quantitative detection techniques and assessment methods of MPs in marine environments, denoting the range of standard procedures applied to collect and analyze samples from water resources, bottom sediments, and coastal deposits;
• The technological dimension, in terms of the relevant analytical techniques applied for MPs’ tracking and monitoring in water resources, determining the wide spectrum of plastic-compound detection and uptake;
• The environmental dimension, in terms of determining cases of environmental depletion;
• The sociological dimension in terms of the human/health implications caused by even extremely low concentrations of MPs, to marine biota, while posing a potential risk to natural sources (marine ecosystems, biodiversity) and humanity (environmental depletion, aesthetic pollution, scarce food availability).

Finally, the research topic focuses on critical issues, challenges, and collective actions needed to support approaches to MPs in terms of coordinating scientific, industry, policy, and civil society communities; furthermore, we are interested in ways to curb the infiltration of toxic chemicals that contain MPs into water resources while rethinking plausible ways of consuming them by humanity.

Dr. Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos
Dr. Vassilis J. Inglezakis
Dr. Antonis A. Zorpas
Prof. Dr. María Rocío Rodríguez Barroso
Topic Editors