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Mechanisms underpinning microplastic effects on the natural climate solutions of wetland ecosystems
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Microplastics are entering wetlands worldwide and disrupting the plants and microbes that make wetlands powerful carbon sinks, potentially turning these ecosystems from carbon absorbers into greenhouse gas emitters. This review maps the mechanisms by which microplastics interfere with wetland carbon storage and calls for this threat to be factored into global climate commitments like the Paris Agreement's net-zero targets. The findings are a warning that plastic pollution could quietly undermine one of nature's most important tools for fighting climate change.
Wetland ecosystems are vital carbon dioxide (CO2) sinks, offering significant nature-based solutions for global climate mitigation. However, the recent influx of microplastic (MP) into wetlands substantially impacts key drivers (e.g., plants and microorganisms) underpinning these wetland functions. While MP-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization potentially threaten the long-term wetland C-climate feedbacks, the exact mechanisms and linkage are unclear. This review provides a conceptual framework to elaborate on the interplay between MPs, wetland ecosystems, and the atmospheric milieu. We also summarize published studies that validate possible MP impacts on natural climate solutions of wetlands, as well as provide extensive elaboration on underlying mechanisms. We briefly highlight the relationships between MP influx, wetland degradation, and climate change and conclude by identifying key gaps for future research priorities. Globally, plastic production, MP entry into aquatic systems, and wetland degradation-related emissions are predicted to increase. This means that MP-related emissions and wetland-climate feedback should be addressed in the context of the UN Paris Climate Agreement on net-zero emissions by 2050. This overview serves as a wake-up call on the alarming impacts of MPs on wetland ecosystems and urges a global reconsideration of nature-based solutions in the context of climate mitigation.
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This review examines how microplastics disrupt carbon cycling in wetlands, which are critical ecosystems for capturing and storing carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change. Microplastics can damage plant roots, alter soil microbial communities, and accelerate the breakdown of stored organic carbon, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions. The findings highlight that microplastic pollution may undermine wetlands' ability to help regulate the climate.
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Wetland ecosystems act as important sinks for micro- and nanoplastics, which were found to cause ecotoxicological effects on wetland plants, animals, and microbial communities, including shifts in microbial composition relevant to pollutant removal. Micro/nanoplastics exposure also affected conventional pollutant removal efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions from wetland systems.
Non-negligible impact of microplastics on wetland ecosystems
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This review examines microplastic pollution in wetland ecosystems, which sit between land and water and act as natural filters. Microplastics in wetlands come from sewage, agricultural runoff, and atmospheric deposition, with polyethylene and polypropylene fibers and fragments being the most common types found. The paper highlights that microplastics can harm wetland plants, animals, and microbes, and may even increase greenhouse gas emissions by serving as an unusual carbon source for soil microorganisms.
Source, fate, toxicity, and remediation of micro-plastic in wetlands: A critical review
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics enter, accumulate in, and damage natural wetlands — ecosystems that filter water and support biodiversity — finding that while wetlands may actually trap plastic particles like a sink, the resulting contamination poses serious ecological risks that are still poorly understood.
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Tiny plastic particles from everyday products are building up in wetland soils, and new research shows they speed up the breakdown of soil carbon, especially when plants like reeds are present, since plant roots seem to help microbes break things down faster. This matters because wetlands are one of nature's best tools for storing carbon and fighting climate change, so if microplastics are causing them to release more CO2 instead of storing it, that could weaken this natural climate defense over time. While this study focused on soil and plants rather than direct human health effects, it adds to growing evidence that microplastic pollution can disrupt natural systems we depend on for a stable
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