Microplastic Pollution: Occurrence, Health Risk and Challenges

This reference book reviews various aspects of microplastics, from their sources and manifestation in terrestrial, aquatic, and air environments to their fate in wastewater treatment systems. It also covers sampling, analysis, and detection methods for microplastics, along with advanced instrumentation for quantification. Further, the book presents health risk analysis and the toxicity of microplastic contamination, including their ecotoxicological impact on the environment and health risks associated with their accumulation in the tropical food chain and food web. The chapters also present studies exploring the health risks associated with microplastic additives and their interactions with other pollutants. The final chapters focus on plastic and microplastics management, exploring advanced technologies for bioplastics production, the biodegradation of plastics and bioplastics, and the role of nanotechnology in plastic management. This book serves as an important source for researchers, policymakers, and environmentalists concerned about the impact of microplastics on ecosystems and human health.

Navish Kataria is currently working as an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA, Faridabad, India, since January 2020. He completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering in 2018. He was awarded Dr. D.S Kothari Post-Doctorate Fellowship in 2019 by UGC, New Delhi. He has recently received a UGC start-up Research Grant for research work. He has published over 40 research articles in high-impact international journals and 11 book chapters. He has published 3 books (2 CRC Press and 1 Springer book). He has also served as managing guest editor in the reputed journal ESPR (Springer Journal) with Impact Factor- 5.2. and published one editorial. He is serving as Review Editor of Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry (Section: Sorption Technologies) and reviews other reputed journals, including Elsevier, Springer, MPDI, and De Gruyter. His major research interests are environmental pollution management, water, and wastewater treatment technologies, Green/Sustainable technology pollution, and bio waste management.

Dr. Vinod Kumar Garg is presently working as a professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India. Previously, he worked at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology and CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India, in different capacities. He has published more than 200 research and review articles and two books. He was awarded the “Thomson Reuters Research Excellence―India Citation Awards 2012”. He is an active member of various scientific societies and organizations, including the Biotech Research Society of India, Indian Nuclear Society, etc. He was elected a Fellow of the Biotech Research Society of India in 2011.

Dr. Changseok Han is currently working as an associate professor in thet Department of Environmental Engineering and Program in Environmental & Polymer Engineering in INHA University, Incheon (Korea). He has published more than 90 research and review papers with h-index of 34 in the field of environmental engineering and nanotechnology. Recently, he focuses on the development of standard protocols for sampling and pre-treatment of soil and sediment samples to determine microplastics in the environment. Also, he has studied to develop reliable advanced oxidation technologies for decomposing micropollutants in the environment. He is currently an Editor-In-Chief of Journal of Environmental Analysis, Health, and Toxicology in Korea, an Associate Editor of Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology, and editorial board members of different journals, including Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, Frontiers in Catalysis, Applied Nano and Advanced Materials Science and Technology.

Dr. Eldon Raj Rene is currently working as an assistant professor (Senior) in resource recovery technology at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands. He obtained his University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) diploma from IHE Delft and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India). The focus of Eldon’s multi-disciplinary research interests, with his students and collaborators, is related to the design and testing of resilient bioreactor configurations for the treatment of waste gases and industrial wastewater, industrial resource management, and the application of artificial intelligence tools to model and predict the performance of bioreactors. A chemical engineer by profession with a specialization in industrial pollution control, Eldon has conducted research to address a range of issues related to the environment and energy.