Editorial: Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Sources, Distribution, Biological Effects and Socio-Economic Impacts

From all the synthetic materials ever produced, plastic is the most versatile, overthrowing both glass and metal in many applications, due to its low weight and cost. Global plastic production started shortly after WWII, around the 1950’s (PlasticsEurope, 2010), and became a popular household item around the same time (Time, 1955). Since then, global production has been exponentially increasing at a rate of 8% per annum (PlasticsEurope, 2020). Notably, it took only 10 (1965) to 17 (1972) years until researchers started noticing the first evidence of plastics in the marine environment (Carpenter and Smith, 1972; Ryan, 2015). Between the 1960’s and the 1990’s, several studies reported direct consequences of plastic interaction with vessels, particularly entanglement of propellers, and with wildlife, via entanglement or ingestion (Ryan, 2015). Consistent findings throughout the world led to calls for action, due to the likelihood that over time the problem would be amplified by fragmentation of larger plastic items into smaller pieces (Carpenter and Smith, 1972). Microplastic research is now a well established research field, with at least 2,500 papers published so far on this topic (Zhang et al., 2020). Despite being a relatively recent research field, microplastic pollution has gone beyond the realm of academia into the general public. Several stakeholders with different vested interests are involved in this topic, from standardization bodies to grassroot movements, from national agencies to research institutions. Plastic has become a social issue, due to its economic and environmental consequences, which affect human activities and the natural cycles of the planet. In order to contribute to the debate, this Research Topic (RT) highlights recent research developments in the microplastic field, in a diverse set of topics that cover relevant aspects from methodologies to modeling, and from impacts on fauna to legislation. A total of 23 research papers from 43 primary and partner institutions, in four continents and spread across 15 countries (Figure 1A), reveal the prevalence of this global problem, and report on some of the solutions ahead.