Dear Colleagues,

I trust this e-mail finds you well! Considering your established expertise and outstanding research work in the domain of advanced materials, micro/nano plastics, and their impact on the aquatic environment, I would like to invite you to consider contributing your expertise to a forthcoming book edited by Prof. Vaseashta, International Clean Water Institute, USA and Transilvania University of Brasov, Prof. Klavins, University of Latvia, and Prof. Stabnikova, National University of Food Technologies. The book is titled “Micro- and Nano plastics in Aquatic Environment” and will be published by the CRC Press/Taylor & Francis. This edited book will present an overview of global challenges associated with microplastics in the aquatic environment. Recent methods to identify, collect and mitigate micro/nano plastics from the aquatic environment will be highlighted in this book. Selected chapters will present the toxico-kinetics of MNPs along with the fate and transport of such particles, including recent results on the fate of MNPs in the human body. Since MNPs normally float towards the air-water interphase, it attracts viruses and present safety and security concerns. Such concerns and mitigation of neustonic MNPs will be described by recent models. The use of metamaterials to detect, isolate and mitigate micro/nano plastics will also be included. From a policy standpoint, it is critical to define international standards, including product labeling, and appropriate use, reuse, recycle and upcycle methodologies.

A tentative list of topics to be covered by the proposed book is listed below. I would like to invite you to contribute a chapter in one or more areas from the following or closely related topics.

• Plastics – Opportunities, challenges, and Future Pathways
• Nano-plastics in the aquatic environment
• Characteristics of plastics/microplastics in water
• Role of biofilms in the degradation of microplastics
• Hazard posed by additives to plastics upon disintegration as microplastics
• Microplastic-associated biofilm and its role in the fate of microplastics in aquatic environments
• Role of biofilm in the accumulation of hazardous substances and transfer in aquatic environments
• Role of microplastics in antibiotic accumulation, the concentration of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, and their spread in the aquatic environment
• Toxicokinetics - effect on human health
• Fate and Transport of Microplastics in Marine Environment
• Collection and Analysis of microplastics
• Removal of microplastics from water
• Effect of microplastics on plants
• Micro/Nano Plastics in Agricultural soils and associated hazard
• Review of current policies on plastics discharge and proposed updates
• Global plastic strategy

If you accept this invitation, I would like to kindly ask you to submit a 250-500 words chapter proposal before February 1, 2023. In case your proposal is accepted, you will be notified immediately, and your full-length chapter will be due by mid-May 2023. Each publication will be sent for peer review. This publication is scheduled to be released in late 2023/early 2024. Please note that there is no publication fee if it is selected for publication. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your consideration of this invitation and hope to hear from you soon!

Best wishes,

Editorial team

Prof. Ashok Vaseashta, Prof. Maris Klavins, Prof. Olena Stabnikova

Email: prof.vaseashta@ieee.org, maris.klavins@lu.lv, stabstab6@gmail.com