Seite - (000007) - in Freshwater Microplastics - Emerging Environmental Contaminants?

SeriesPreface With remarkable vision, Prof.OttoHutzinger initiatedTheHandbook ofEnviron- mentalChemistry in 1980 and became the foundingEditor-in-Chief.At that time, environmental chemistrywas an emerging field, aiming at a complete description of the Earth’s environment, encompassing the physical, chemical, biological, and geological transformationsofchemical substancesoccurringona local aswell asa global scale. Environmental chemistrywas intended to provide an account of the impact of man’s activities on the natural environment by describing observed changes. While a considerable amount of knowledgehas been accumulatedover the last three decades, as reflected in the more than 70 volumes of The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, there are still many scientific and policy challenges ahead due to the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the field. The series will therefore continue to provide compilations of current knowledge. Contribu- tions are written by leading experts with practical experience in their fields. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry growswith the increases in our scientific understanding, and provides a valuable source not only for scientists but also for environmental managers and decision-makers. Today, the series covers a broad rangeofenvironmental topics fromachemicalperspective, includingmethodolog- ical advances in environmental analytical chemistry. In recent years, there has been agrowing tendency to include subjectmatter of societal relevance in the broad view of environmental chemistry. Topics include life cycle analysis, environmental management, sustainable development, and socio-economic, legal and even political problems, among others. While these topics are of great importance for the development and acceptance ofTheHand- bookofEnvironmentalChemistry, thepublisherandEditors-in-Chiefhavedecided tokeep thehandbookessentiallya sourceof informationon“hard sciences”witha particular emphasis on chemistry, but also covering biology, geology, hydrology and engineering as applied to environmental sciences. Thevolumesof the seriesarewrittenat anadvanced level, addressing theneeds of both researchers and graduate students, aswell as of people outside thefield of ix