List of Figures xxiii List of Tables xxix Foreword xxxi Preface xxxiii Acknowledgements xxxv Part I: Understanding Microplastics and Their Environmental Impact 1 1 Introduction to Microplastic Pollution 3 Harshita Jain and Maulin P. Shah 2 Microplastics in Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems 27 Kalpesh Solanki and Sagar Harwani 3 Health and Environmental Risks of Microplastics 73 Sagar Harwani and Kalpesh Solanki Part II: Microbial Interactions with Microplastics 111 4 Biofilm-Driven Microbial Colonization and Plastic Degradation: Insights into Quorum Sensing and Extremophilic Adaptations 113 Anjali, Parvesh Kumar, Kanti Prakash Sharma and Vidyullatha Peddireddy 5 Microbial Communities on Microplastics Highlights Microbial Diversity and Metabolic Role 139 Mehara Nijamudeen, Ritu Shepherd and Jesse Joel Thathapudi 6 Microbial Architects: Colonization, Biofilms, and Their Role in Biodegradation 165 Yogesh Kumar, Parwez Ahmad and Mayank Bhushan 7 Microbial Colonization and Biofilm Formation on Microplastics 195 Lenin Kumar Bompalli and Lokeswari Nallabilli 8 The Plastisphere Paradigm: Biofilm-Microplastic Interactions and Microbial Community Dynamics in Natural Ecosystems 207 Sowmya Kumaravel Part III: Microbial Solutions for Microplastic Remediation 225 9 Enzymatic Biodegradation of PET Plastics: PETase as a Key Catalyst in Microbial Remediation 227 Arpitha Balakrishnan, Jeena Gupta and Ashish Vyas 10 The Consortia-Based Bioremediation: Emerging Research and Future Prospects 263 Anamika Singh, Indira P. Sarethy and Ekta Bhatt 11 Microbial Enzymes Involved in Plastic Degradation 303 Bhumit Chavda and Yash Babaria 12 Genetically Engineered Microorganisms for Microplastic Degradation 325 Bhumit Chavda, Rahilkumar Brahmbhatt, Akshara Yesodharan, Shivangi Parmar and Kapil Kumar Part IV: Challenges, Policies, and Future Perspectives 363 13 Challenges and Limitations of Microbial Biodegradation 365 Dharmistha Parmar, Aishwarya Varadiya and Bhumit Chavda 14 Toxicological and Systemic Health Effects of Microplastics in Humans: Mechanisms, Exposure, and Emerging Concerns 391 Elkhatim Hassan Abdelgadir and Sachil Kumar 15 An Overview of Microplastics' Impact on Health and the Environment 417 Ivan Aranha 16 Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Microplastic Management 437 Naveen Kumar, Jyoti Kumari and Sugandha Aachhera 17 Microplastics in the Environment: Microbial Biodegradation and Enzymatic Interventions 469 Nilamba Basiya and Abhijeet Joshi References 495 Index 509.