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Microplastic Pollution in Mangrove Sediments and Its Impact on the Nitrogen Cycle
Summary
This review paper looks at how tiny plastic bits (microplastics) are building up in mangrove forests—coastal wetlands that act as nurseries for fish and natural buffers against storms—with pollution being especially bad in Asia. These plastics are messing with the bacteria that manage nitrogen, a nutrient mangroves need to grow and stay healthy, which could weaken these ecosystems' ability to filter pollutants and support marine life that eventually ends up on our plates.
The widespread application of plastic products has led to the issue of microplastic (MP) pollution in the environment. Due to the unique geographical location, mangrove wetlands receive pollution from both terrestrial and marine sources, resulting in severe MP pollution in their sediments. Sources of MPs in mangroves include direct transport from terrestrial and marine sources and the fragmentation of plastics trapped within mangroves through physical, chemical, and biological processes. In this chapter, we collected published studies on MP pollution in mangrove sediments and found that contamination is particularly severe in Asian mangrove sediments. Additionally, variations in MP distribution with sediment depth suggest that MPs serve as important markers of the Anthropocene. Furthermore, considering that the productivity of mangroves is limited by nitrogen (N), we reviewed the impacts of MPs on N cycling in mangrove sediments. The microenvironment created by MPs in sediments facilitates the removal of N through enhanced nitrification and denitrification. Meanwhile, microbes respond to increased N limitation by increasing dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium and secreting N-acquiring extracellular enzymes.