Context: A study by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research finds that microplastics are altering the carbon dynamics of the Sundarbans. The findings highlight risks to one of the world’s largest mangrove-based “blue carbon” ecosystems.
- Blue carbon is organic carbon captured and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems – specifically mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows.
- The Sundarbans is the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest and a major carbon sink (absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases).
- Large rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra bring plastic waste into this delta.
- These plastics break down into microplastics (tiny particles).
- Plastics are rich in carbon (~90%), so when they break down, part of this carbon leaks into water (called Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC))
- This DOC becomes an easily available food source for bacteria and microbes, unlike natural carbon which is often locked in complex plant material.
- As microbes consume this DOC, they grow rapidly and respire more, releasing CO₂ back into the water and atmosphere.
- This process increases microbial respiration, which converts stored carbon into atmospheric carbon, weakening the function of Sunderbans as carbon sinks.
- Thus, instead of storing carbon, the system begins to recycle and release more CO₂, disturbing the natural carbon balance.
- Biogenic carbon refers to carbon produced by living organisms such as microbes, algae, and plants.
- In this case, microbes feeding on plastic-derived DOC grow rapidly and generate more Biogen carbon (biologically produced carbon compounds).
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