Imptox, one of the five CUSP projects, will lead a special issue on “Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Food, Water and Environmental Safety” of the International Journal of Food Contamination. The lead guest editor for this thematic issue will be Imptox Coordinator, Tanja Ćirković Veličković from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Belgrade.
The term microplastics and their presence in the environment and the food chain has caused great interest and concern among researchers and the population since it has surfaced in the early years of this century. Researchers have pointed out that micro- and nanoplastics are literally everywhere, from the air we breathe, to the food we eat and the water we drink. In current research, attention is being paid to the interactions of micro- and nanoplastics with human, plant and animal hosts, as well as with other biotic and abiotic contaminants.
The COVID epidemic, with its increased use of face-masks, PPE, and single-use consumer items made of synthetic polymers, has increased the production of plastic waste and if left unmediated, plastic will linger around for many years to come because of its durability, inertness and slow degradation.
In this thematic issue, the editors are looking for papers related to the following topics (but not only):
- Prevalence of different microplastics in the environment and food chain
- Detection methods for micro-and nanoplastics
- Toxicity of micro- and nano-plastics
- Microbial interactions on microplastics
- Interaction of microplastics with food and environmental contaminants
- Microplastics as allergens (carriers)
- Legislation
- Risk assessment
- Climate change and microplastics
The deadline for this call is February 22, 2022.
More information including detailed submission guidelines are available.
