Plastics and the Ocean: Origin, Characterization, Fate, and Impacts

An insightful and multidisciplinary exploration of plastic pollutants in the ocean environment

In Plastics and the Ocean, renowned researcher Anthony L. Andrady delivers a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the sources, characterization, and environmental impacts of plastics in the ocean. The book focuses on macroplastics as well as micro-scale and nanoscale plastics and the human impacts of these that reach consumers via seafood. It also addresses the human behavioral aspects of the problem via discussions of the mismanagement of urban litter.

A diverse collection of expert perspectives is arranged logically and guides the reader through this fast-evolving multi-disciplinary subject area. Beginning with an overview of the field, the book goes on to explore the importance of this area of research to related disciplines and to the everyday lives of consumers.

This text offers engineers and scientists an up-to-date review of the subject and the state of the art as summarized by key researchers in the field. The book includes:

• A synthesis of leading voices in oceanography, biogeochemistry, industrial chemistry, ecotoxicology, polymer science, and behavioral science
• Discussions of the impacts of a range of marine plastics, including large debris, microplastics, and nanoplastics
• A summary of the abundance and impacts of plastics in various niches in the marine environment
• Descriptions of the current methodologies for sampling, detection, processing, and identification of plastic waste

Plastics and the Ocean is an indispensable resource for professionals, researchers, instructors, and graduate students in polymer science, marine biology, and environmental engineering. It’s also a must-read text for chemical engineers, materials scientists, and environmental engineers seeking a one-stop resource that describes the origins, occurrence, composition, environmental fate, and biological impacts of plastic pollutants in an ocean environment.

Anthony L. Andrady is Adjunct Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the North Carolina State University and is a pioneering researcher on plastics in the ocean environment. His research focuses on plastics, the environment, and sustainability.