Microplastics (MPs) are usually categorised as particles that range in size between 1 mm and 5 mm. Typically, MPs are produced from several different types of polymers. MPs may persist in the environment for decades after their application. Many products contain engineered microplastics. Other sources of MPs are synthetic fibres from clothing and the laundry process, the manufacturing and processing industries, plastic pellets and the breakdown of larger plastic debris. The breakdown of microplastics is a source for the creation of nanoplastics (NPs). Wastewater and treated wastewater sludge (biosolids) are thought to have been the major sources of MPs and NPs contaminating farmlands and oceans for many years. Currently, thousands of tonnes of microplastics are accumulating annually in soils and seas worldwide. Although many studies have been carried out in this area, much more research is urgently needed on MPs and NPs and their past, current and long-term impacts on ecology and, consequently, on the health of humans and animals. It is my pleasure to invite you to submit to this Special Issue research articles and review papers on MPs and NPs in the environment, including the extent and the increasing trend of these pollutants and their impacts on farmlands, forests and oceans. Urgent solutions, guidelines and much stronger and more effective regulations are required globally.
Keywords: Microplastics; Nanoplastics; Plastic contamination in agricultural soils; Plastic contamination in oceans; Recycling waste materials; Construction materials; Biosolids; Wastewater; Sustainability; Human, animal and ecosystem health.