Nanoplastics in Urban Waters: Recent Advances in the Knowledge Base

This chapter describes the best current definitions for nanoplastics in terms of specific origin, size, properties, their behavior in aquatic media, and ecotoxic interactions with other aquatic pollutants and living beings. The overall large-scale transformations that occur in aquatic systems as a function of the intrinsic properties of nanoplastics and the receiving aquatic environments is described including the role of biomolecular corona formation (surface coverage of nanoplastics by biogenic material and/or contaminants) in nanoplastic uptake into cellular pathways and toxic effects. The documented hazards posed by nano-polymeric particles used in bench-scale studies as a proxy for nanoplastics on aquatic biota (including planktonic species, invertebrates, and fish) is also critically reviewed and recommendations to fill current knowledge gaps are provided.