Mismanaged plastic waste is a global issue, affecting different environmental matrices such as water, soil, sediment, ice, air, and biota. Based on the size, plastic waste is categorized into nanoplastics (1 to <1000 nm), microplastics (1 µm to 5mm), mesoplastics (> 5 mm to < 10 mm), and macroplastics (≥ 10 mm). Plastic itself can be a pollutant, but it can also act as a vector to transport toxic chemicals (e.g., persistent organic pollutants, trace metals, pesticides, and antibiotics) and harmful organisms (e.g., pathogens and invasive species) to pristine ecosystems. These pollutants are of great public concern due to their ubiquitous nature and the potential hazards posed for humans and ecosystems. It is predicted that the growth of global plastic waste will exceed efforts to mitigate plastic pollution, presenting a challenge for countries around the world.
Using recent advanced techniques to identify sources, transport pathways, and environmental and ecological impacts of plastic waste will provide a meaningful basis for better monitoring and mitigation purposes. This Research Topic focuses on addressing these challenges, by collecting manuscripts on various techniques to monitor and characterize plastics and their associated substances in the aquatic environment, with the aim to reduce the ecotoxicological impacts.
We welcome manuscripts on the following subtopics related to plastics in the aquatic environment, including, but not limited to:
1. Characterization and identification of plastics and adhered substances
2. Advanced techniques (artificial intelligence and machine learning, remote sensing, and GIS) for plastic mapping and management
3. Numerical models to improve the understanding of plastic transport pathways
4. Interactions among plastics, chemical contaminants, and biota to elucidate ecotoxicity mechanisms
5. Impacts of plastic associated biofilms in the aquatic environment
Topic Editors Drs Veerasingam and Vethamony received financial support from Qatar Petroleum. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Mismanaged plastic waste is a global issue, affecting different environmental matrices such as water, soil, sediment, ice, air, and biota. Based on the size, plastic waste is categorized into nanoplastics (1 to <1000 nm), microplastics (1 µm to 5mm), mesoplastics (> 5 mm to < 10 mm), and macroplastics (≥ 10 mm). Plastic itself can be a pollutant, but it can also act as a vector to transport toxic chemicals (e.g., persistent organic pollutants, trace metals, pesticides, and antibiotics) and harmful organisms (e.g., pathogens and invasive species) to pristine ecosystems. These pollutants are of great public concern due to their ubiquitous nature and the potential hazards posed for humans and ecosystems. It is predicted that the growth of global plastic waste will exceed efforts to mitigate plastic pollution, presenting a challenge for countries around the world.
Using recent advanced techniques to identify sources, transport pathways, and environmental and ecological impacts of plastic waste will provide a meaningful basis for better monitoring and mitigation purposes. This Research Topic focuses on addressing these challenges, by collecting manuscripts on various techniques to monitor and characterize plastics and their associated substances in the aquatic environment, with the aim to reduce the ecotoxicological impacts.
We welcome manuscripts on the following subtopics related to plastics in the aquatic environment, including, but not limited to:
1. Characterization and identification of plastics and adhered substances
2. Advanced techniques (artificial intelligence and machine learning, remote sensing, and GIS) for plastic mapping and management
3. Numerical models to improve the understanding of plastic transport pathways
4. Interactions among plastics, chemical contaminants, and biota to elucidate ecotoxicity mechanisms
5. Impacts of plastic associated biofilms in the aquatic environment
Topic Editors Drs Veerasingam and Vethamony received financial support from Qatar Petroleum. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.