Mare Plasticum - The Plastic Sea

Marilena Streit-Bianchi was born in Rome (Italy). She received a doctorate in Biological Sciences from the University of Rome and joined CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Geneva (Switzerland), in 1969. She has been a pioneer in the study of high-energy particles produced by accelerators for cancer treatment. She has held managerial positions in the area of safety training and technology transfer and is currently a senior honorary staff member at CERN, actively engaged in art and science as a book editor and curator of exhibitions in Europe and Mozambique. The artist Margarita Cimadevila, who was born in Sada (Coruña, Spain), graduated in Chemistry. She then worked as a secondary school science teacher for the Government of Galicia for thirty years, nine of them as director. Her artistic work combines science and art on topics such as the particle physics at CERN, women in science, gender equality and eco art. She is president of the organization ARSCIENCIA and a member of AMIT (Spanish Association of Women Researchers and Technologists). Her work has been exhibited in Europe, America and China.

Chapter 1. The Exhibition MARE PLASTICUM: Art and Science for the Environment.- Chapter 2. A Brief History of Plastics.- Chapter 3. Plastics and Microplastics: Impacts in the Marine Environment.- Chapter 4. The (Un)Natural History of the "Plastisphere", A New Marine Ecosystem.- Chapter 5. Polarquest 2018 Expedition: Plastic Debris at 82°07' North.- Chapter 6. The Impact of Marine Litter in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean Sea: How Can We Protect MPAs?.- Chapter 7. Plastic in China: A Short History of a Crisis.- Chapter 8. "Down by the River": (Micro-) Plastic Pollution of Running Freshwaters with Special Emphasis on the Austrian Danube.- Chapter 9. Small Plastic Wastes in Soils: What Is Our Real Perception of the Problem?.- Chapter 10. Europe's Move Towards Plastic-Free Ocean.- Chapter 11. Plastic Pollution in the Oceans - A Systemic Analysis-Status Quo and Possible Sustainable Solutions.- Chapter 12. Toys for the Winter.- Chapter 13. "The Bottlenose Dolphin" (An Eco-comic).

"In my opinion, this is an important book. ... The combination of text, illustrations, and references makes it a well-developed scientific book. ... I believe that this thoughtful and inspiring book cannot only attract scientists, policymakers, and environmental managers but also representatives of the plastic manufacturing and recycling industry. ... it can serve as a textbook for faculty and students interested in studying environmental issues ... . I highly recommend this book to the reader." (Christian T. K.-H. Stadtländer, Environmental Processes, Vol. 9, 2022)

“In my opinion, this is an important book. … The combination of text, illustrations, and references makes it a well-developed scientific book. … I believe that this thoughtful and inspiring book cannot only attract scientists, policymakers, and environmental managers but also representatives of the plastic manufacturing and recycling industry. … it can serve as a textbook for faculty and students interested in studying environmental issues … . I highly recommend this book to the reader.” (Christian T. K.-H. Stadtländer, Environmental Processes, Vol. 9, 2022)