Note: Intro -- Contents -- About the Editors -- Microplastics Occurrence in Different Regions Around the World -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Occurrence of MPs in Different Regions of the World -- 2.1 Europe -- 2.2 Asia -- 2.3 North America and South America -- 2.4 Australia, Africa, and Antarctica -- 3 Potential Sources of Microplastics -- 4 Pathways of Microplastics Entry into Marine Environments -- 5 Implications of Microplastic Ingestion on Humans -- 6 Need to Standardize Sampling Protocols -- 7 Conclusion -- References -- Microplastics Pollution in Rivers -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Microplastics Size, Morphology, and Composition -- 3 Method of MPs Sampling in River Water -- 4 Method of MPs Sampling in River Sediment -- 5 Determination of MPs Concentration and Transport Rate -- 6 Sources of MPs and Their Occurrence in Water and Sediments -- 7 MPs in Estuaries -- 8 Conclusion -- References -- Microplastics in Freshwater Environments and Drinking Water -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Articles Published on Microplastics in Freshwater Environments and Drinking Water: Where We Are? -- 3 Microplastics in Lotic Freshwater Environments -- 4 Microplastics in Lentic Freshwater Environments -- 5 Microplastics in Drinking Water -- 6 Perspectives for the Future -- References -- The Role of Rivers in Microplastics Spread and Pollution -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Source of Microplastics in the River -- 3 Microplastics Fate in the River -- 4 Microplastics Abundance in the River Water -- 5 Microplastics Abundance in the River Sediment -- 6 The Shape of Microplastics in the River -- 7 The Size of Microplastics in the River -- 8 Polymer Type of Microplastics in the River -- 9 Spatiotemporal Microplastics in the River -- 10 Microplastics in the River and Its Association -- 11 Conclusion -- References -- Microplastics Pollution in Coastal Zones -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Plastics and Polymers. , 1.2 Plastic Waste Pollution During the Pandemic -- 1.3 Plastic Pollution Scenario: Worldwide and India -- 1.4 Marine Pollution of Plastics -- 1.5 Microplastics -- 2 Marine Plastic and Microplastic Pollution -- 2.1 Occurrence and Abundance of Microplastics in the Marine Environment -- 2.2 Effects of Microplastics on the Marine Ecosystem -- 2.3 Plastic Waste Pollution in Marine Environment and Management -- 2.4 Bioremediation Technologies -- 3 Effects of Microplastic Pollution -- 3.1 Effects of Microplastics Exposure to Microalgae in Saltwater -- 3.2 Effects of Microplastics Ingestion in Holoplankton and Meroplankton: Field Studies -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- A Critical Review on Separation, Identification, Quantification and Removal of Microplastics in Environmental Samples: Developments and Challenges -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Distribution of Microplastics in the Environment -- 3 Interaction of Microplastics with the Environment -- 4 Effects of Microplastics in the Environment -- 5 Techniques for Extraction of Microplastics -- 5.1 Flotation Method -- 5.2 Magnetic Extraction -- 5.3 Enzymatic Digestion -- 6 Techniques for Separation of Microplastics -- 7 Techniques for Identification and Quantification of Microplastics -- 7.1 FTIR Microspectroscopy -- 7.2 Raman Microspectroscopy -- 7.3 Pyrolysis GC/MS -- 8 Removal of Microplastics -- 8.1 Biological Removal Method -- 8.2 Electrocoagulation -- 8.3 Electrooxidation and Photocatalytic TiO2 Micromotors -- 9 Conclusion -- References -- Pretreatment Methods for Further Analysis of Microplastics in Wastewater and Sludge Samples -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Organic Matter Removal Techniques -- 2.1 General Overview of Organic Removal Techniques and Their Application to Different Streams of a WWTP -- 2.2 Oxidative Techniques -- 2.3 Enzymatic Processes -- 2.4 Alkaline Treatments -- 2.5 Acidic Treatments. , 3 Staining Methods and Improvements in the Initial Microplastic Identification Stage -- 4 Conclusions -- References -- Microplastics Sampling and Recovery: Materials, Identification, Characterization Methods and Challenges -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Overview of Analytical Procedures -- 3 Collection of Environmental Samples (Air, Water, Soil) -- 3.1 Sampling -- 3.2 Air Sampling -- 3.3 Water Sampling -- 3.4 Soil Sampling -- 4 Separation Techniques -- 4.1 Flotation -- 4.2 Filtration -- 4.3 Digestion of the Organic-Sample-Matrix -- 5 Quantification and Identification of MPs -- 5.1 Morphology Characterization, Quantification, and Classification -- 5.2 Identification of MPs Polymer -- 6 Quality Control -- 7 Challenges and Future Perspectives -- 8 Summary -- References -- Ecotoxicity Assessment of Microplastics on Aquatic Life -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methodology -- 2.1 Databases and Search Criteria -- 2.2 Extraction and Analysis of Information -- 3 Results and Discussion: Findings on Microplastics Toxicity -- 3.1 Toxicity of Different Types of MPs -- 3.2 Factors Affecting Toxicity of Microplastics -- 3.3 Effects in Different Organism Groups -- 4 Final Thoughts -- References -- Occurrence, Fate and Removal of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) and Drinking Water Treatment Plants (DWTPs) -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Occurrence of Microplastics in Fresh Water -- 2.1 Source in Microplastics -- 2.2 Fate and Transport of Microplastics -- 3 WWTPs and Microplastics -- 3.1 Treatment Processes and Microplastics Removal in WWTPs -- 3.2 Microplastics in WWTPs Effluent -- 4 DWTPs and Microplastics -- 4.1 Treatment Processes and Microplastics Removal in DWTPs -- 5 Conclusion -- References -- Microplastic Pollution in Water and Their Removal in Various Wastewater Treatment Plants -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Environmental Pollutants. , 3 Microplastics Pollution in Aquatic Media: General Overview -- 4 Conventional WWTPs -- 5 Performance of WWTPs in Various Regions Around the World -- 5.1 USA -- 5.2 China -- 5.3 Italy -- 5.4 Spain -- 6 Conclusion -- References -- An Overview of Physical, Chemical and Biological Methods for Removal of Microplastics -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods for Removing Microplastics in Water and Wastewater Sources -- 2.1 Physical Methods -- 2.2 Chemical Methods -- 2.3 Biological Methods -- 3 Conclusion -- References -- Microplastics and Anaerobic Digestion -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Origin of Microplastics -- 3 Regulation Policies on Microplastics -- 4 Detection Methods for Microplastics -- 4.1 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) -- 4.2 Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) -- 4.3 Nanoparticles Tracking Analysis (NTA) -- 4.4 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) -- 4.5 Raman and Micro-Raman Spectroscopy -- 4.6 Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS) -- 4.7 Focal Plan Array-Based System (FPA) Micro-FTIR -- 5 Presence of Microplastics in Sludge Impacts AD -- 5.1 Effects of Microplastics on Methane Formation During AD -- 5.2 Effects of Microplastics on the Methane-Forming Microbial Community During AD -- 5.3 Effect of Microplastics on Biofilm Formation During AD -- 5.4 Effect of Microplastics on the Proliferation of Antibiotic-Resistant Genes During AD -- 6 Recommendations for Further Studies -- 7 Conclusion -- References -- Role of Microplastics as Attachment Media for the Growth of Microorganisms -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Process of Biofilm Formation -- 3 Presence of Biofilm in Identified Environmental Matrices -- 4 Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Media -- 5 Conclusion -- References -- Bioremediation Techniques for Microplastics Removal -- 1 An Introduction to Plastics Bioremediation, Types, and Application. , 2 A Brief Introduction to Organisms and Enzymes -- 3 Plastic Degradation and Biodegradation -- 4 Types of Plastics Based on Their Origin, Thermal Behavior, and Biodegradability -- 4.1 Thermoplastics and Thermosets -- 4.2 Bio-based or Fossil-Based Nonbiodegradable Plastics -- 4.3 Bio-based or Fossil-Based Biodegradable Plastics -- 5 Microplastics Types -- 6 Microplastics Toxicity on Living Organisms -- 6.1 Microplastics Toxicity on Microalgae -- 6.2 Microplastics Toxicity on Animals and Humans -- 7 Antibiotic Resistance and Microplastics -- 8 Microorganisms and Microplastics Interaction and Biofilm Formation -- 9 Biodegradation of Microplastics -- 9.1 Biodegradation by Bacteria and Bacteria Consortium -- 9.2 Biodegradation by Fungi -- 9.3 Biodegradation by Algae -- 9.4 Important Enzymes in Biodegradation -- 10 How to Find Proper Microorganisms for Biodegradation -- 10.1 Weight Measurement -- 10.2 Morphology Assessment -- 10.3 Structural Changes -- 10.4 Thermal Behavior -- 11 Engineering of Microorganisms for Bioremediation -- 11.1 Enzyme Engineering -- 11.2 Transgenesis -- 12 Metagenomics and in Silico Studies on Microplastics Bioremediation -- 13 Noteworthy Points on Biodegradable Plastics -- References.

Note: Intro -- Contents -- About the Editor -- Effect of Textile Parameters on Microfiber Shedding Properties of Textiles -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Microfiber Shedding Mechanism -- 3 Microfiber Generations in Different Phases of Life Cycle -- 3.1 Production Stage -- 3.2 Consumption Stage -- 3.3 Disposal Stage -- 4 Effect of Textile Parameters in Microfiber Shedding -- 4.1 Effect of Fiber Properties -- 4.2 Effect of Yarn Parameters -- 4.3 Effect of Fabric Parameters and Properties -- 4.4 Effect of Surface Finishes -- 4.5 Effects of Aging -- 5 Summary and Recommendations -- References -- Current State of Microplastics Research in SAARC Countries-A Review -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Knowledge of Microplastics Research in SAARC Nations -- 3 India -- 3.1 Coastal Environment -- 3.2 Riverine Environment -- 3.3 Lacustrine Environment -- 3.4 Groundwater -- 3.5 Biota -- 3.6 Salt -- 3.7 Dust/Atmospheric Deposition -- 4 Pakistan -- 5 Maldives -- 6 Bangladesh -- 7 Sri Lanka -- 8 Nepal -- 9 Recommendations for Future Studies -- 10 Conclusion -- References -- Distribution and Impact of Microplastics in the Aquatic Systems: A Review of Ecotoxicological Effects on Biota -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Review Methods and Data Treatment -- 3 The Occurrence of Microplastics in Aquatic Biota -- 4 Interaction and Uptake Mechanism of Microplastics by Aquatic Biota -- 5 Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics on Aquatic Biota -- 5.1 Toxicity Effect at Subcellular, Cellular, and Organ Level of Biota -- 5.2 Toxicity Effects on the Behavioral Pattern -- 6 Microplastics Associated Contaminants Effects on Biotas -- 7 Conclusion, Future Research, and Recommendation -- References -- Microplastic Pollution in Marine Environment: Occurrence, Fate, and Effects (With a Specific Focus on Biogeochemical Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles) -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Concept and Composition of Microplastics. , 1.2 Sources of Microplastics -- 2 Environmental Fate and Transport of Microplastics -- 2.1 The Transport of Microplastics in the Marine Environment -- 2.2 The Fate of Microplastics in the Marine Environment -- 3 The Impact of Microplastics on Ecosystems -- 3.1 Impacts on Marine Phytoplankton and Zooplankton -- 3.2 Impacts on Marine Benthic Communities -- 3.3 Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Diversity, Community Structure, and Function -- 4 Effects on Biogeochemical Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles -- 4.1 Effect of Microplastics on Carbon Cycles -- 4.2 Effect of Microplastics on Nitrogen Cycles in Sediments -- 5 Conclusion and Perspectives -- References -- Domestic Laundry and Microfiber Shedding of Synthetic Textiles -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Microfiber Shedding and Laundry -- 2.1 Effect of Detergent/Detergent Concentration on Microfiber Shedding -- 2.2 Effect of Laundry Temperature on Microfiber Shedding -- 2.3 Effect of Laundry Cycle/Time on Microfiber Shedding -- 2.4 Effect of Softener Treatment on Microfiber Shedding -- 2.5 Effect of Washing Machine Type/Method on Microfiber Shedding -- 2.6 Other Influencing Parameters Influencing Microfiber Shedding -- 3 Summary and Recommendation -- References -- Microplastics in Dentistry-A Review -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Dental Materials and Microplastics -- 2.1 Poly Methyl Methacrylate Based Denture Base Materials -- 2.2 BIS Phenol A from Orthodontic Appliances -- 2.3 BIS Phenol A from Composites and Pit and Fissure Sealants -- 2.4 Toothpastes and Microplastics -- 3 Polymer Degradation and Impacts -- 3.1 Saliva Components -- 3.2 Masticatory Forces -- 3.3 Thermal and Chemical Changes -- 3.4 Oral Microbes -- 4 Environmental Impact -- 5 Impact on Human -- 6 Recommendations for Future Studies -- 7 Conclusion -- References.

Note: Intro -- Contents -- About the Editor -- Blockchain Technology: A Fundamental Overview -- 1 Blockchain Fundamental -- 1.1 Background and Evolution -- 1.2 Blockchain Definition -- 2 Blockchain Components -- 3 Blockchain Features -- 4 Blockchain Architecture -- 5 How Does Blockchain Work? -- 6 Blockchain Categorization -- 7 Blockchain Regulations and Organization Incorporation -- 8 Blockchain Usage -- 9 The Future of Blockchain Technology: Artificial Intelligent and Digital Privacy -- References -- Fundamentals of Blockchain and New Generations of Distributed Ledger Technologies. Circular Economy Case Uses in Spain -- 1 Introduction -- 2 History and Evolution of Blockchain Technology -- 3 A Definition of Blockchain -- 4 Key Concepts -- 5 The "Actors" in a DLT -- 6 The Constituent Elements of a Blockchain -- 7 Governance Conditions for Future Applications -- 8 New Generations of Blockchain -- 8.1 Hashgraph -- 8.2 Dag -- 8.3 Holochain -- 8.4 Chia Network -- 8.5 DFinity -- 8.6 Neural Distributed Ledger (NDL) -- 9 The Concept of Token: "Tokenization" -- 10 Uses and Applications. The Spanish Case -- 10.1 Climate Trade -- 10.2 Telos-Based CTIC Logistics Traceability Application -- 10.3 Food Track, Food Supply Chain Traceability -- 10.4 CircularChain, a Blockchain Platform for Packaging Recycling -- 11 Conclusions -- References -- Security Magnification in Supply Chain Management Using Blockchain Technology -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Literature Review -- 3 Overview of Blockchain -- 3.1 Types of Blockchain -- 3.2 Characteristics of Blockchain -- 3.3 Key Components of Blockchain -- 4 Supply Chain Management -- 4.1 Motivation Behind Applying Blockchain Technology in SCM -- 4.2 Advantages of Leveraging Blockchain -- 4.3 Leveraging SCM in Industries with Blockchain Technology -- 4.4 Use Cases of Blockchain in SCM -- 5 Conclusion and Future Research Directions. , References -- "Implementation of Blockchain Technologies in Smart Cities, Opportunities and Challenges" -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Blockchain Enabling Technology Types -- 3 Accompanying Features of the Blockchain Technology -- 4 Smart City-The Origins -- 5 Smart Cities-The Concept -- 6 The Smart City-The Model -- 7 Primary Objectives of the Smart Cities -- 8 Smart City as a Summation of Paradigms -- 9 Composing Elements of the Smart Cities -- 10 Application of the Blockchain Technology in the Smart Cities -- 11 Application of Blockchain Technology in the Development of the Smart Cities -- 12 Digital Identity -- 13 SSI Digital Identity -- 14 Blockchain Architecture for Smart Cities -- 15 Opportunities in the Application of the Blockchain Technology -- 16 Conclusion -- References -- Blockchain Technology Enables Healthcare Data Management and Accessibility -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Blockchain Overview -- 3 Key Blockchain Technology Features -- 3.1 Decentralization -- 3.2 Trust and Transparency -- 3.3 Traceability and Auditability -- 3.4 Persistency and Immutability -- 3.5 Privacy and Anonymity -- 4 Benefits of Blockchain in Healthcare -- 4.1 Decentralized Medical Data Management -- 4.2 Data Protection -- 4.3 Ownership of Medical Data -- 4.4 Control Pharmaceutical Supply Chain -- 4.5 Availability and Accessibility of Medical Data -- 5 Blockchain Application in Healthcare Sector -- 5.1 Mobile Health (mHealth) -- 5.2 Healthcare Data Management -- 5.3 Pharmaceutical Tracing and Supply Chain -- 5.4 Health Insurance Claims -- 5.5 Health Education and Clinical Trials Research -- 6 Case Study (e-Health Estonia) -- 7 Processes Improved Through Blockchain -- 7.1 Patient Record Management -- 7.2 Maintaining Consistent Permissions -- 7.3 Protecting Telehealth Systems -- 7.4 Clinical Trials and Precision Medicine -- 7.5 Optimizing Health Insurance Coverage. , 7.6 Medical Billing Systems -- 7.7 Enhancing Privacy of Patients' Data -- 8 Conclusion -- References -- Blockchain as a Service: A Holistic Approach to Traceability in the Circular Economy -- 1 Introduction -- 2 New Paradigms: The Circular Economy and Blockchain Technology -- 2.1 Introduction to the Circular Economy -- 3 A Blockchain Integration Model for the Circular Economy. A BaaS Approach -- 3.1 Blockchain and the Circular Economy -- 3.2 The BaaS Approach -- 3.3 A Specific, Neural Distributed Network-Based Solution -- 4 Implications and Challenges -- References -- The Smart City, Smart Contract, Smart Health Care, Internet of Things (IoT), Opportunities, and Challenges -- 1 The Smart Contract -- 2 The Opportunities in the Application of the Blockchain Technology in Smart Health Care -- 3 Opportunities in Utilizing Smart Contracts in Smart Health Care -- 4 Smart Contract Applications -- 5 Blockchain Implementation Challenges in Smart Cities -- 6 Smart City, Blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT) Opportunities and Challenges -- 7 Security Issues with Internet of Things (IoT) Devices in Context of Smart Cities -- 8 Challenges in Connecting Citizens and Smart Cities -- 9 Smart City, Blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT) Opportunities -- 10 Conclusion -- References -- Applications of Blockchain Technology for a Circular Economy with Focus on Singapore -- 1 Blockchain -- 1.1 Blockchain Overview -- 1.2 Characteristics of Blockchain -- 2 Circular Economy (CE) -- 2.1 The Concept of Circular Economy -- 2.2 Circular Economy Challenges -- 2.3 Ecosystem Economy and the Cities' Role in Driving CE -- 2.4 Circular City -- 2.5 Sustainable Development -- 3 Application Scenarios of Blockchain Technology for a CE -- 3.1 Focus on Singapore -- 4 Challenges of Applying the Blockchain Technology to the CE -- 5 Suggestions for Way Forward -- 6 Conclusion. , References -- Leveraging Blockchain Technology in Sustainable Supply Chain Management and Logistics -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Literature Review -- 3 Basics of Blockchain -- 3.1 History of Blockchain -- 3.2 Architecture of Blockchain -- 3.3 Types of Blockchain -- 3.4 Working of Blockchain -- 4 Supply Chain Management -- 4.1 Motivation for Applying Blockchain in SCM -- 4.2 How Blockchain Can Be Implemented? -- 4.3 Opportunities for Integration of Blockchain and SCM -- 5 Conclusion -- References.