Geochemical data on iron

Summary

Scientists found that microplastics—tiny plastic bits polluting wetlands worldwide—can change how bacteria in soil process iron, a key nutrient cycle that keeps wetland ecosystems healthy. This matters because wetlands act like natural filters that clean our water, so if microplastics are disrupting their basic chemistry, it could affect water quality and the health of ecosystems we depend on. While this study focused on soil microbes rather than direct human health effects, it adds to growing evidence that plastic pollution is altering natural systems in ways scientists are still working to understand.