Editorial: Microplastics in aquatic and biotic systems: environmental presence, health impacts, and management strategies

primarily as an aesthetic nuisance associated with visible plastic debris; plastics are now known to breakdown into smaller particles, termed as microplastics, which circulate widely across aquatic systems and invade biological matrices. These contaminants, typically defined as plastic items smaller than 5 mm, are now detected from remote polar water bodies and mountain lakes to deep ocean sediments; and from drinking water, air, and soil to human One of the most pressing challenges in microplastic research is the lack of comprehensive regional assessments, particularly in developing regions where plastic consumption is rapidly increasing but environmental monitoring infrastructure remains limited.A research article in this collection addresses this gap by examining the distribution and ecological risk of microplastics in sediments along the Odisha coast, India. The study reveals pervasive microplastic contamination across all sampled sites, demonstrating that even relatively understudied coastal environments are heavily impacted. Moreover, accumulation of microplastics on sandy beaches was found to be governed by sediment grain size characteristics as well as the beach's proximity to human-derived pollution sources. Importantly, the study moves beyond simple occurrence data to evaluate ecological risks through multiple risk indices. Such assessments provide a crucial step toward translating environmental measurements into policy-relevant indicators. Coastal ecosystems act as the interface between terrestrial and marine environments. While coastal environments represent visible accumulation zones for plastic debris, rivers function as the primary transport pathways delivering plastic waste from land to sea. Understanding the dynamics of microplastic transport in riverine systems is therefore crucial.Another contribution in this topic investigates microplastic contamination in the Budapest reach of the Danube River, one of Europe's largest and most international river basins. Using multilevel manta net sampling combined with polymer identification through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, the study documents measurable concentrations of microplastics in the river's water column. Importantly, study highlights the role of hydrological conditions in shaping microplastic transport, such as high-discharge events and flood conditions. During such events, accumulated debris stored in river sediments and banks may be remobilized and transported over long distances. This observation has important implications for monitoring strategies as traditional sampling episodes conducted under stable hydrological conditions may underestimate the true magnitude of microplastic flux.Consequently, monitoring programs and mitigation efforts must be designed at watershed scales rather than confined to isolated sampling points.While environmental monitoring has expanded rapidly in recent years, technological solutions for removing micro/nanoplastics from water systems remain relatively underdeveloped. Nanoplastics, in particular, present unique challenges due to their extremely small size, high mobility, and potential to interact with biological membranes. A review article included in this research topic offers a comprehensive synthesis of adsorption-based technologies. The review surveys a wide range of emerging adsorbent materials, including biochar, metal oxides, aerogels, layered double hydroxides, and metal-organic frameworks.The significance of adsorption-based technologies lies in versatility and adaptability.Adsorbents can be engineered with tailored surface chemistries, pore structures, and functional groups designed to interact with specific contaminants. However, the review also provides a critical perspective on the limitations of these technologies. Laboratory-scale removal efficiencies do not necessarily translate into practical solutions for environmental applications.Additionally, the scalability of these technologies, particularly in large wastewater treatment systems, poses significant economic and operational challenges. By emphasizing these limitations, the review highlights an important principle in environmental technology development, viz. innovation must be accompanied by rigorous evaluation of real-world applicability.Beyond their physical presence in aquatic environments, microplastics pose significant ecological and health risks. They are ingested by a wide range of organisms, from plankton to seabirds, causing physical harm, reduced feeding, and impaired growth and reproduction.Additionally, microplastics act as carriers of hydrophobic pollutants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and persistent organic pollutants, facilitating their transfer through food webs 5 . Microbial communities, known as the "plastisphere", are also hosted which may include pathogenic organisms 6 . At a smaller scale, nanoplastics can penetrate biological membranes, potentially causing cellular and molecular toxicity, with risks of bioaccumulation and biomagnification 1 . Addressing these issues require a holistic approach emphasizing prevention, monitoring, and remediation. Improved waste management, advanced wastewater treatment, standardized protocols, and evidence-based policies such as regulating single-use plastics and promoting sustainable materials 7 , are essential to reduce microplastic pollution.The research presented in this topic illustrates the multifaceted nature of microplastic pollution. From coastal sediments in India to riverine transport dynamics in the Danube basin, the environmental footprint of microplastics is both widespread and complex.