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Responses of mangrove (Kandelia obovata) growth, photosynthesis, and rhizosphere soil properties to microplastic pollution
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Researchers found that polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC microplastics significantly impaired mangrove (Kandelia obovata) root growth, photosynthesis, and soil microbial properties after 12 months of exposure, threatening mangrove ecosystem health.
In this study, we used Kandelia obovata to explore the toxicities of three typical MPs in mangroves: polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinylchloride. MPs were mixed into soils at 5 % (w/w) for cultivation in mangrove tide-tank system. Plant growth and soil characteristics were determined after 12 months. The results showed that MPs multiply restricted root growth, leaf ionome, chlorophyll concentration, and photosynthetic efficiency, changed leaf photochemical efficiency and excited energy distribution. Polyethylene and polypropylene MPs with 150 μm sizes significantly reduced leaf and root biomass. As for soil properties, all MPs mainly reduced bulk density but improved porosity, with 600 μm polyethylene resulting in 1.4 g cm bulk density and 55.1 % porosity. This study represent the first paper highlighting that MPs negatively affect mangrove plants by affecting plant growth, leaf ionome, and photosynthesis, which may be related with the changed soil properties, especially reduced bulk density and improved porosity.
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Uptake, growth, and oxidative stress responses of Rhizophora mucronata (Poir. in Lam.) propagules exposed to high-density polyethylene microplastics
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Researchers exposed mangrove propagules to environmentally relevant concentrations of high-density polyethylene microplastics for three months and found that the particles accumulated on root surfaces and translocated into the shoot system. The microplastics caused significant reductions in root length, plant height, and foliar area, along with increased oxidative stress indicators. The study suggests that microplastic pollution poses a real threat to mangrove growth and could ultimately affect the diversity and productivity of mangrove forests.
Microplastics and heavy metals reshape mangrove rhizosphere microbiomes and compromise carbon fixation potential
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Researchers investigated how microplastics and heavy metals together affect the microbial communities around mangrove tree roots. They found that combined pollution significantly reduced microbial diversity and shifted the balance of bacterial species, which in turn compromised the ability of these ecosystems to capture and store carbon. The study highlights that microplastic-metal co-contamination poses a compounding threat to mangrove ecosystems, which play an important role in coastal carbon storage.
Distinct microplastics abundance variation in root-associated sediments revealed the underestimation of mangrove microplastics pollution
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This study characterized how microplastic abundance varies across root hair, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere zones in mangrove sediments, finding that root structures significantly influence microplastic trapping and migration patterns within mangrove ecosystems.
A review on microplastic pollution in the mangrove wetlands and microbial strategies for its remediation
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Researchers reviewed the growing problem of microplastic pollution in mangrove wetland ecosystems and its effects on the biological communities that depend on these habitats. They found that microplastic exposure can substantially alter the microbial communities critical to nutrient cycling in mangrove environments. The review also explores microbial bioremediation strategies as a sustainable approach to addressing plastic pollution in these threatened coastal ecosystems.
Microplastics modify the microbial-mediated carbon metabolism in mangroves
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Researchers exposed mangrove rhizosphere microbial communities to four types of microplastics in microcosm experiments and found that polyamide and PVC microplastics reduced microbial utilization of preferred carbon sources by up to 67%, while polyethylene exposure altered nitrogen-containing carbon metabolism. These disruptions to carbon and nitrogen cycling raise concerns about microplastics impairing the critical carbon sequestration function of mangrove ecosystems.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.