Microplastics – Contaminant Interactions in Water: Fate, Transport, and Toxicological Consequences

Microplastics are one of the emerging contaminants having ubiquitous presence in the environment. Although these contaminants are present in every environmental matrix, water systems represent a major environmental compartment for the distribution, transport, and exposure of microplastics. Water acts as a major transport medium for the microplastics released from textiles, tyre wear, packaging, wastewater, agricultural runoff etc. to eventually moving these into the rivers, lakes, ponds, groundwater, oceans, and drinking water. Aquatic ecosystems often become the ultimate reservoir for the microplastics. As a result, aquatic organisms are continuously exposed to these contaminants leading to toxicological consequences. Water also provides a medium where various other contaminants can interact with the microplastics, such as, metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and so on.

This special issue is expected to highlight emerging research on the complex interactions between microplastics and co-existing contaminants in aquatic environments. The call particularly encourages studies exploring the role of microplastics as carriers, sinks, or vectors for pollutants such as heavy metals, antibiotics, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and pathogens. Contributions addressing the mechanisms governing adsorption, desorption, transformation, and transport of contaminants on microplastic surfaces under varying environmental conditions are highly relevant.

The issue is also likely to emphasize the environmental fate and behaviour of microplastics in freshwater, marine, wastewater, and drinking water systems, including factors influencing their mobility, aging, aggregation, and degradation. Research on toxicological implications, including ecotoxicity, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, oxidative stress, antimicrobial resistance development, and potential human health impacts, is expected to receive significant attention. In addition, interdisciplinary studies involving analytical methodologies, risk assessment approaches, modeling, remediation technologies, and policy implications are anticipated. Overall, the call aims to advance scientific understanding of how microplastics interact with contaminants in water systems and their broader environmental and public health consequences.

The proposed call for papers aims to invite research articles focussing on interactions between microplastics and other aquatic contaminants. The collection may include original articles, review articles, perspectives, and specific case studies. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Interactions of microplastics with antibiotics, heavy metals, pesticides, and other emerging contaminants in aquatic environments

• Role of microplastics as vectors for contaminant transport, bioavailability, and antimicrobial resistance dissemination

• Fate and transport of aged or weathered microplastics in freshwater, marine, groundwater, and wastewater systems

• Ecotoxicological and human health implications of contaminant-loaded microplastics, including oxidative stress and trophic transfer studies

• Occurrence, characterization, and analytical detection of microplastics and associated contaminants in drinking water and food chains

• Removal and remediation strategies for microplastics and contaminant mixtures using advanced treatment technologies and nature-based solutions

• Modeling, exposure assessment, and risk characterization of microplastic-associated contaminants in aquatic ecosystems

• Influence of environmental factors (pH, salinity, dissolved organic matter, UV aging, etc.) on contaminant adsorption/desorption behavior of microplastics

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Microplastics, Contaminant Interactions, Sorption-Desorption, Vector Transport, Aquatic Fate, Ecotoxicity, Trophic Transfer, Heavy Metals, Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Resistance, Aged Microplastics, Co-Contaminants

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.