Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Enhanced Microplastic Burial in China’s Coastal Blue Carbon Ecosystems: Drivers and Potential Roles in Climate Change Mitigation

Researchers measured microplastic stocks in coastal blue carbon ecosystems along the Chinese coastline and found that these environments significantly enhance the trapping and burial of microplastic particles in sediments. Microplastic-derived carbon storage ranged from 0.01 to 104.4 kg of carbon per hectare across the study sites. The study suggests that while blue carbon ecosystems act as sinks for microplastic pollution, this buried plastic carbon may need to be accounted for in coastal carbon budget assessments.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

New Insights into the Microplastic Enrichment in the Blue Carbon Ecosystem: Evidence from Seagrass Meadows and Mangrove Forests in Coastal South China Sea

Researchers studied how seagrass meadows and mangrove forests in the South China Sea trap microplastics, finding enrichment of 1.3 to 17.6 times compared to unvegetated sites, with a strong positive correlation between microplastic abundance and organic carbon content (Pearson R = 0.86).

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics distribution in different habitats of Ximen Island and the trapping effect of blue carbon habitats on microplastics

Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution across five coastal ecosystems on Ximen Island and found that blue carbon habitats such as mangroves and saltmarshes act as significant traps for microplastics, concentrating them in sediments over time.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 36 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastics in coastal blue carbon ecosystems: A global Meta-analysis of its distribution, driving mechanisms, and potential risks

Microplastic abundance in blue carbon ecosystems showed the highest concentrations in Asia, especially South and Southeast Asia, with distribution influenced by vegetation habitat, climate, and river runoff. Large fish showed significant microplastic accumulation, and the effect of microplastics on sediment organic carbon varied by ecosystem type, challenging the assumption that microplastics increase carbon sequestration.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Blue carbon sediments as effective sinks for microplastics: A global meta-analysis

This global meta-analysis of 54 studies found that blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass meadows) accumulate significantly more microplastics in their sediments than unvegetated tidal flats, with mangroves showing the strongest effect. Microplastic burial rates in these ecosystems have increased exponentially by 2.7% per year since the 1950s, roughly double the rate in bare sediments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced MicroplasticBurial in China’s CoastalBlue Carbon Ecosystems: Drivers and Potential Roles in Climate ChangeMitigation

Researchers mapped microplastic stocks in China's coastal blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses), finding that these habitats trap 1.3–3.8 times more microplastics than bare tidal flats, with rainfall, river runoff, and land use as key drivers.

2025 DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC))
Article Tier 2

Distinct impacts of microplastics on the carbon sequestration capacity of coastal blue carbon ecosystems: A case of seagrass beds

Researchers examined how microplastic pollution affects the ability of seagrass beds to capture and store carbon, a process important for combating climate change. Evidence indicates that microplastics can alter sediment properties, disrupt microbial communities, and inhibit seagrass growth, all of which reduce carbon storage capacity. The study highlights that microplastic contamination may be undermining one of nature's key tools for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of tropical blue carbon ecosystems for climate change mitigation

This review examines how tropical blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass beds, and seaweed farms, help capture and store carbon to combat climate change. Researchers highlight that these coastal habitats face increasing threats from pollution, including plastic contamination, which can undermine their ability to sequester carbon. The study calls for better preservation and restoration of these ecosystems, noting significant knowledge gaps about their long-term carbon storage potential.

2023 Journal of Environmental Science and Economics 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Contribution of Microplastics to Carbon Storage in Coastal Wetland Sediments

Microplastic occurrence was measured in coastal sediments across different habitat types in Hong Kong, and the carbon content of the particles was used to estimate that microplastics represent a small but measurable contribution to the organic carbon stock in coastal wetland sediments.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Blue carbon and microplastic dynamics in natural and planted mangroves, Thailand

A study comparing natural and planted mangrove forests in Thailand found that natural mangroves store significantly more blue carbon in their sediments, but both types accumulate microplastics, with contamination patterns varying by forest structure and proximity to human activity. This is important because mangroves are increasingly relied upon as carbon sinks in climate strategies, but microplastic contamination could compromise their ecological integrity and carbon storage function.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Impact of elevated environmental pollutants on carbon storage in mangrove wetlands: A comprehensive review

Researchers synthesized global studies on pollutant impacts in mangrove wetlands — which store about 10% of coastal ocean carbon — finding that microplastics reduce carbon stocks by 1-12% by impairing photosynthesis and destabilizing sediments, while heavy metals and oil spills compound the damage to these critical climate carbon sinks.

2025 Ecological Indicators 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Tidal variation shaped microplastic enrichment patterns in mangrove blue carbon ecosystem of northern Beibu Gulf, China

Researchers found that tidal variation significantly shapes microplastic distribution in mangrove sediments of the Beibu Gulf, with higher microplastic abundance in high-tide zones, suggesting mangroves act as effective sinks for microplastic pollution.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Importance of Blue Carbon in Mitigating Climate Change and Plastic/Microplastic Pollution and Promoting Circular Economy

This review highlighted the importance of blue carbon ecosystems in mitigating both climate change and microplastic pollution, emphasizing how mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes can sequester carbon while trapping plastic debris and promoting circular economy principles.

2023 Sustainability 58 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of bio-geomorphic feedbacks in shaping microplastic burial in blue carbon habitats

Researchers conducted a year-round field study in a mangrove habitat along the South China coast to examine how bio-geomorphic feedbacks — the interactions between wave-damping vegetation, sediment accretion, and erosion — shape microplastic burial patterns. They found that microplastic abundance decreased significantly with increased cumulative sediment erosion as bio-geomorphic feedback strength declined, and that locations with weaker waves and less erosion contained greater diversity of microplastic shapes, colors, and larger average particle sizes.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics in blue carbon ecosystems: a call for global cooperation on climate change goals

Researchers warn that plastic pollution is increasingly accumulating in coastal blue carbon ecosystems — tidal marshes, mangroves, and seagrass meadows — which are critical carbon sinks, and argue that plastic-related carbon emissions must be factored into global climate goals before growing plastic stocks undermine these vital ecosystems.

2022 The Lancet Planetary Health 32 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic contamination in Southeast Asia’s blue carbon habitats – systematic review paper with bibliometric approach

This systematic review examines microplastic contamination in Southeast Asia's mangrove forests and seagrass meadows, critical ecosystems that store carbon and support biodiversity. The findings show that these blue carbon habitats are increasingly contaminated with microplastics, threatening both ecosystem health and the coastal communities that depend on these environments for food and livelihood.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Revealing microplastic and anthropogenic microparticles contamination in tidal blue carbon ecosystems from eastern Brazil

Researchers compared microplastic accumulation in mangrove and salt marsh sediments in Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil, finding that salt marshes contained at least 38 percent more anthropogenic microparticles than mangroves. Fibers were the dominant particle type across both ecosystems, likely originating from synthetic textiles and fishing activities, highlighting the role of these coastal blue carbon ecosystems as sinks for microplastic pollution.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastic burial potential and ecological risks in mangrove forests of the Amazon River delta

Researchers studied how mangrove forests in the Amazon River delta trap and bury microplastics in their soil, analyzing sediment cores going back over a century. Microplastics were found in nearly all samples, including some deposited before the modern plastic era, suggesting redistribution through sediment movement. The study is the first to quantify the microplastic burial capacity of mangroves, showing these ecosystems act as long-term sinks for plastic pollution.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of microplastics and their additives on mangrove system: From the sinks to the sources of carbon

This review examined how microplastics and plastic additives (including flame retardants and phthalate plasticizers) affect carbon sequestration in mangrove blue carbon ecosystems, finding that MPs can shift mangroves from carbon sinks to potential carbon sources by disrupting soil organic carbon storage and microbial decomposition.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Human activities altered the enrichment patterns of microplastics in mangrove blue carbon ecosystem in the semi-enclosed Zhanjiang Bay, China

This study found that mangrove forests in Zhanjiang Bay, China, contained about 1.6 times more microplastics in their sediments than nearby non-mangrove areas, showing that these ecosystems trap and accumulate plastic pollution. Human activities were identified as the key factor driving different contamination patterns between mangrove and non-mangrove areas. Since mangroves are important coastal ecosystems that support fisheries and protect shorelines, their contamination with microplastics could affect the marine food web and the communities that depend on these resources.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Augmentation of global marine sedimentary carbon storage in the age of plastic

Researchers quantified plastic carbon inputs to the global marine sedimentary system, finding that approximately 7.8 Mt of plastic carbon is deposited on the seafloor annually, exceeding the natural organic carbon burial rate and representing a previously unaccounted anthropogenic component of the marine carbon cycle.

2021 Limnology and Oceanography Letters 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Depth Profiles of Microplastics in Sediment Cores from Two Mangrove Forests in Northern Vietnam

Microplastic contamination in sediment cores from two mangrove forests in northern Vietnam was analyzed by depth, finding concentrations ranging from 0 to 49 items per kg and providing a historical record of plastic pollution accumulation in these ecologically important coastal wetlands.

2021 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Predictors of sedimentary organic carbon in seagrass vegetated and unvegetated sediment in the Tamar Estuary, United Kingdom

Researchers measured organic carbon content in both seagrass-vegetated and adjacent unvegetated sediments in the Tamar Estuary, UK, identifying habitat characteristics that predict sedimentary carbon storage capacity. The study argues that excluding unvegetated adjacent sediments from Blue Carbon assessments underestimates the total carbon sequestration potential of seagrass ecosystems.

2024 ˜The œPlymouth student scientist
Article Tier 2

Are mangrove ecosystems plastic accumulation zones?

Researchers monitored macroplastic and microplastic pollution across nine mangrove sites on Cebu Island, Philippines, for over a year using paired removal and reference plots, finding that mangrove ecosystems function as significant plastic accumulation zones with differing dynamics between landward and seaward zones.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment