TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of plastic contamination on carbon fluxes in a subtropical coastal wetland of East China
AU - Zhao, Wei
AU - Zhu, Ke Hua
AU - Ge, Zhen Ming
AU - Lv, Qing
AU - Liu, Shi Xian
AU - Zhang, Wei
AU - Xin, Pei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2023/11/1
Y1 - 2023/11/1
N2 - Coastal wetlands are recognized as carbon sinks that play an important role in mitigating global climate change because of the strong carbon uptake by vegetation and high carbon sequestration in the soil. Over the last few decades, plastic waste pollution in coastal zones has become increasingly serious owing to high-intensity anthropogenic activities. However, the influence of plastic waste (including foam waste) accumulation in coastal wetlands on carbon flux remains unclear. In the Yangtze Estuary, we investigated the variabilities of vegetation growth, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes, and soil properties in a clean Phragmites australis marsh and mudflat and a plastic-polluted marsh during summer and autumn. The clean marsh showed a strong CO2 uptake capacity (a carbon sink), and the clean mudflat showed a weak CO2 sink during the measurement period. However, polluted marshes are a significant source of CO2 emissions. Regardless of the season, the gross primary production and vegetation biomass of the polluted marshes were on average 9.5 and 1.1 times lower than those in the clean marshes, respectively. Ecosystem respiration and CH4 emissions in polluted marshes were significantly higher than those in clean marshes and mudflats. Generally, the soil bulk density and salinity in polluted marshes were lower, whereas the median particle size was higher at the polluted sites than at the clean sites. Increased soil porosity and decreased salinity may favor CO2 and CH4 emissions through gas diffusion pathways and microbiological behavior. Moreover, the concentrations of heavy metals in the soil of plastic-polluted marshes were 1.24–1.49 times higher than those in the clean marshes, which probably limited vegetation growth and CO2 uptake. Our study highlights the adverse effects of plastic pollution on the carbon sink functions of coastal ecosystems, which should receive global attention in coastal environmental management.
AB - Coastal wetlands are recognized as carbon sinks that play an important role in mitigating global climate change because of the strong carbon uptake by vegetation and high carbon sequestration in the soil. Over the last few decades, plastic waste pollution in coastal zones has become increasingly serious owing to high-intensity anthropogenic activities. However, the influence of plastic waste (including foam waste) accumulation in coastal wetlands on carbon flux remains unclear. In the Yangtze Estuary, we investigated the variabilities of vegetation growth, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes, and soil properties in a clean Phragmites australis marsh and mudflat and a plastic-polluted marsh during summer and autumn. The clean marsh showed a strong CO2 uptake capacity (a carbon sink), and the clean mudflat showed a weak CO2 sink during the measurement period. However, polluted marshes are a significant source of CO2 emissions. Regardless of the season, the gross primary production and vegetation biomass of the polluted marshes were on average 9.5 and 1.1 times lower than those in the clean marshes, respectively. Ecosystem respiration and CH4 emissions in polluted marshes were significantly higher than those in clean marshes and mudflats. Generally, the soil bulk density and salinity in polluted marshes were lower, whereas the median particle size was higher at the polluted sites than at the clean sites. Increased soil porosity and decreased salinity may favor CO2 and CH4 emissions through gas diffusion pathways and microbiological behavior. Moreover, the concentrations of heavy metals in the soil of plastic-polluted marshes were 1.24–1.49 times higher than those in the clean marshes, which probably limited vegetation growth and CO2 uptake. Our study highlights the adverse effects of plastic pollution on the carbon sink functions of coastal ecosystems, which should receive global attention in coastal environmental management.
KW - Carbon fluxes
KW - Coastal wetland
KW - Plant growth
KW - Plastic contamination
KW - Soil physiochemistry
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85165458189
U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118654
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118654
M3 - 文章
C2 - 37481882
AN - SCOPUS:85165458189
SN - 0301-4797
VL - 345
JO - Journal of Environmental Management
JF - Journal of Environmental Management
M1 - 118654
ER -
