We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation may take centuries
Summary
Biogeochemical modeling showed that even complete removal of microplastics from the ocean starting in 2022 would not fully reverse microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation for centuries due to accumulated impacts on phytoplankton and oxygen cycling. The findings underscore the long-term consequences of microplastic pollution for ocean health.
Abstract Climate change and plastics pollution are dual threats to marine environments. Here we use biogeochemical and microplastic modelling to show that even if there is complete removal of microplastics and cessation of deposition in the oceans in 2022, regional recovery from microplastic-induced remineralization and water column deoxygenation could take hundreds of years for coastal upwelling zones, the North Pacific and Southern Ocean. Surface stratification and reduced sea ice cover further impede regional recovery, highlighting the importance of aggressive mitigation of plastic pollution.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Zooplankton grazing of microplastic can accelerate global loss of ocean oxygen
Researchers modeled the effect of zooplankton microplastic ingestion on ocean oxygen levels, finding that reduced zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton due to plastic consumption could decrease export of organic carbon to depth, leading to lower oxygen consumption by deep-water bacteria and counterintuitively reducing oxygen loss in some scenarios.
Would the Oceans Become Toxic to Humanity Due to Use and Mismanagement of Plastics?
Researchers developed a model to estimate when microplastic accumulation could make oceans broadly toxic to humans and marine life. The study suggests that under current discharge growth rates, ocean microplastic levels could reach toxic thresholds between 2398 and 2456, though reducing emissions could delay this significantly.
A mass budget and box model of global plastics cycling, degradation and dispersal in the land-ocean-atmosphere system
Researchers built a global computer model tracking how 8,300 million metric tons of plastic produced since 1950 cycles through land, ocean, and atmosphere as it fragments into microplastics over time. Their modeling shows that even eliminating all new plastic releases from 2025 onward would still leave small microplastics cycling through the environment for millennia, because of the enormous stockpile of plastic waste already accumulated on land.
Global environmental plastic dispersal under OECD policy scenarios toward 2060
Using a global computer model, researchers simulated how plastic pollution will spread through land, ocean, and atmosphere under different policy scenarios through 2060. Even with strong policy action, microplastics already in the environment will continue to circulate for centuries because existing plastic slowly breaks into smaller pieces. The study estimated the total marine plastic pool at 263 million tons, showing that preventing new pollution is critical but will not quickly solve the microplastic problem already in our ecosystems.
Long-term aging and degradation of microplastic particles: Comparing in situ oceanic and experimental weathering patterns
Researchers weathered polypropylene and polyethylene pellets in sunlight and seawater for three years and compared chemical bond changes via FTIR spectroscopy to particles collected from North Pacific ocean gyres, estimating that most gyre plastics have been at sea for more than 18 months — consistent with ocean circulation residence-time models.