Editorial: Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is a threat to the marine environment worldwide (Andrady, 2011) from the tropics to the poles (Waller et al., 2017). The Mediterranean Sea, a semi-closed basin, is heavily affected by this pollution as well (Llorca et al., 2020). The aim of this special issue was to collect the latest studies on MPs pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. MPs are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size that derive from industrial products (primary microplastics) or from the fragmentation of large plastic pieces (secondary microplastics) (Auta et al., 2017). MPs are found floating on the surface, along with those in the water column, in sediments, and up to the deep sea (Van Cawenberghe et al., 2013). MPs can be ingested by aquatic biota and they can be a vehicle for other pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), that can be adsorbed and concentrated from the surrounding seawater. As a result, MPs can be transfer several toxic pollutants via the food chain (Fytianos et al., 2020). This editorial introduces to the Research Topic “Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea,” highlighting the pollution of MPs in this peculiar ecosystem and aiming at a better understanding of the occurrence, distribution, and toxicity presence and the study of MPs in the Mediterranean Sea.