Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as a critical contaminant at the nexus of global water security, food safety, and planetary health. Web of Science Core Collection data reveal about 200%+ surge in publications on "microplastics AND agriculture," signaling intensified global research focus on MPs within food production systems. This scientific momentum converges with urgent policy imperatives: the WHO 2025 Framework for Microplastic Risk Assessment mandates quantification of dietary exposure via crops and standardized monitoring in agricultural water matrices; the EU Microplastics Strategy 2030 prioritizes blocking MPs entry into food production systems; and the FAO 2024 Report on Food Safety designates MPs for integrated field-to-fork surveillance under Codex Alimentarius guidance. Critical gaps persist—fragmented studies overlooking the hydrological continuum from irrigation water to edible tissues, methodological inconsistencies, and absent frameworks for translating MP concentrations to human health thresholds.

This special issue directly addresses these gaps by establishing the first integrated platform for MPs in agricultural hydrological systems.

We invite contributions focus on topics as follows, but not limited to:

1. Environmental Fate in Water Systems

• Hydrological transport of MPs via irrigation, runoff, and groundwater recharge
• MPs interactions with water-soluble organic matter, sediments, and aquatic biota
• Climate impacts (drought/flooding) on MP retention in agricultural water bodies

2. Transfer Dynamics in Water-Soil-Ecosystem Interfaces

• Uptake mechanisms in aquatic plants (e.g., reeds, rice) and sediment-dwelling organisms
• Synergistic effects of MPs with co-contaminants (pesticides, heavy metals) in water matrices
• Trophic transfer from water → sediment → aquatic food webs

3. Integrated Risk Assessment & Sustainable Control

• Standardized protocols for water/soil/sediment MPs (ISO/IEC alignment)
• Ecological risk modeling for aquatic ecosystems (e.g., NLRP3 activation in fish)
• Nature-based solutions: constructed wetlands, biochar filters, and water treatment systems for MP removal

We welcome original research, critical reviews, methodological innovations (AI-enhanced water sampling), policy perspectives.