Dear Colleagues,

Marine litter is cited as one of the most important indicators of the environmental quality of marine ecosystems in Europe. The main component of marine litter is plastics, and in recent years, numerous studies have been carried out to determine the distribution of plastics and microplastics, their abundance, their content in the environment, and their impact on marine ecosystems through both in vitro studies and field investigations. In contrast, research on nanoplastics is scarce and often limited to reviews and in vitro studies. Data on environmental exposure and the development of suitable methods for determination of nanoplastic levels are insufficient. Despite the lack of knowledge on these issues, nanoplastics are of potential concern because their size makes them capable of penetrating almost all biotic barriers and affecting organisms. Research on nanoplastics is important, and publication of recent advances could be useful in filling the significant gaps in knowledge so that stakeholders can make decisions and regulate their levels.

We are pleased to invite you to this Special Issue that focuses on advances in this area of research to improve knowledge on this topic. This Special Issue aims to publish recent results of studies focused on identifying methodological approaches to define environmental levels, to measure nanoplastics in samples without significant interferences by method, and to define effects on organisms in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not be limited to) the following: original research papers, in vivo and in vitro studies, and  in field activities and monitoring.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Monia Renzi
Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Fossi
Dr. Cristina Panti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• nanoplastics
• health of organisms
• ecotoxicity
• ecosystem health
• environmental levels
• interaction with biota