Impact and fate of microplastics in the riverine ecosystem

In the recent decade, there is a global concern regarding the abundance of microplastics (MPs) and their ill effects in natural ecosystems. Due to their ill effects towards aquatic biota and possible hazards to human health, MPs are included in the class of �contaminant of emerging concern�. Besides marine waters, they are currently being assessed in inland waters including rivers which are being considered as the single most important source of MPs in the marine environment. This chapter tries to emphasise various processes through which MPs enter into the river ecosystems and the fate of the plastic particles thereafter. Moreover, the ecotoxic effect of MPs towards the aquatic biota, their detection techniques and possible risk management has also been discussed. The transport and fate analysis of the plastic particles through river is of highly important in the present day context to establish their abundance and to develop possible mitigation strategies to reduce human health hazard.