Microplastics in Agriculture and Food Science: Methods for Identification and Remediation presents fundamental insights into the sources of microplastics and their impact on important agricultural, food, and environmental resources. Presenting insights into these highly related fields, this book is the first to enable cross- and multidisciplinary understanding and application. Microplastics are tiny particles created during plastic production as well as those particles remaining when plastic degrades and breaks down. They are sometimes difficult to identify, and the methods for qualifying and classifying them are not always clear despite the importance of their recognition and remediation. With insights into analytical methods including the challenges, this book addresses microplastics from the farm to the food pyramid, highlighting the issues they raise and the options for removing them. Written by a global team of experts, this volume contributes to further understanding and addressing of this increasing global challenge, and is an excellent resource for researchers in agricultural science, environmental science, and food science (particularly food chemistry and food packaging).

Table of Contents:

Part I: The Contaminants of the 21st Century: An Introduction to Microplastics
1. Plastics in the Agricultural Field
2. Plastics in the Food Sector
3. Principle Plastic Polymers in Agricultural and Food Sectors
4. From Plastics to Microplastics

Part II: Analytical Methodologies for Microplastics Determination: between Limitations and Innovations
5. Sampling Methods for Microplastics Determination
6. Pre-treatment of Food and Agricultural Matrices for Microplastics Extraction
7. Analytical Methodologies for Qualification of Microplastics
8. Quantification of Microplastics: A Call for Method Harmonization
9. Polymer Solubilization: A Potential Solution for Microplastics Quantification
10. Quality Assurance and Quality Control: The Prevention of Airborne Contamination

Part III: Microplastics in agriculture
11. Microplastics Contamination in Soil
12. Microplastics Contamination in Crops
13. Artificial Crop Irrigation and Microplastics
14. Microplastics and Agricultural Vehicle Tires
15. Fertilizers and Microplastics Contamination of Crops
16. Atmospheric Particulates and Microplastics

Part IV: Microplastics in farm animals
17. Feed Production Process and Microplastics Contamination
18. Microplastics in Farm Animals: Health Effects
19. Microplastics: From Animal to Human

Part V: Microplastics in the food sector
20. Food Processing and microplastics
21. Food Packaging and Potential Microplastics Release
22. Food Pyramid and Microplastics

Part VI: Human exposure to microplastics
23. Are We Eating Microplastics?
24. Microplastics in Food Production and Agricultural Environments

Part VII: Contaminants associated with microplastics
25. Microplastics and plasticizers
26. Microplastics and organic contaminants
27. Microplastics and inorganic contaminants

Part IIX: Fate of microplastics and toxicological studies
28. Translocation of microplastics in human tissue
29. Microplastics and potential damage to human cells
30. 3-D models for studing microplastics effects on humans

Part IX: Additional Topics and Considerations
31. Use of agricultural products as bio-indicators
32. Potential solutions in the agriculture and food sector
33. Regulatory Gaps in Microplastics Field in food and agriculture sectors

Botany, plant sciences

Zoology

Biochemistry

Pharmacology, therapeutics, toxicology

Agriculture in general

Crop production

Animal husbandry

Chemical engineering and industry

Mechanical Engineering Sciences

Engineering sciences

Food and tobacco industry, food sciences

Media and communications industry

Product design

Food sciences

Geology

Environmental protection

Environmental sciences in general

Microplastics in Agriculture and Food Science