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Microplastics and Climate Change: Unveiling Ecological Impacts and Addressing Research Gaps
Summary
This review synthesizes studies from 2022 to 2024 on how microplastics contribute to greenhouse gas emissions — including CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide — through mechanisms such as nutrient adsorption and microbial colonization, identifying nitrous oxide interactions as a critical and underexplored research gap.
Microplastics, pervasive in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, have emerged as significant contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). This review synthesizes recent studies from 2022 to 2024, revealing the complex mechanisms through which microplastics influence GHG production. These mechanisms include the adsorption of nutrients and pollutants onto microplastic surfaces and their role as substrates for microbial colonization. The impacts of microplastics vary significantly across different environments, such as agricultural soils and marine sediments. The review underscores the urgent need for standardized methodologies and long-term field studies to accurately assess the ecological consequences of microplastics. Notably, the role of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent GHG with a global warming potential nearly 300 times that of CO2, remains underexplored in the context of microplastic interactions, highlighting a critical research gap. Additionally, the synergistic effects of microplastics with other pollutants require further investigation to understand their cumulative impact on GHG emissions fully. This review calls for a coordinated effort among researchers and policymakers to advance our understanding of microplastics' role in global GHG budgets and to develop effective strategies for mitigating their environmental and climatic impacts.
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