A new international study has found that
microscopic plastic pollution is hampering the ocean’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), potentially weakening one of the planet’s key defenses against global warming and climate change.
The research, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials: Plastics, suggests that microplastics—fragments smaller than 5 millimeters—disrupt marine biological processes critical to long-term carbon storage.
Scientists have long known microplastics are pervasive throughout the environment, from deep-sea waters to Arctic ice and even human bodies, but their impact on climate systems has received comparatively little attention.
The latest study, titled “From pollution to ocean warming: The climate impacts of marine microplastics,” points to multiple mechanisms by which these tiny particles undermine oceanic carbon uptake.
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In marine ecosystems, microplastics interfere with phytoplankton photosynthesis and zooplankton metabolism, both essential elements of the so-called “biological carbon pump” that moves carbon from the atmosphere into deep ocean layers.
The research also highlights the role of the “plastisphere”—microbial communities that colonize plastic surfaces—which can contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) production as the plastics break down.
This means that microplastics not only impede processes that draw carbon out of the atmosphere but can also emit GHG during degradation.
Lead author Dr. Ihsanullah Obaidullah, an associate professor at the University of Sharjah, said the findings point to a previously underappreciated link between plastic pollution and climate change.
“Oceans are Earth’s largest carbon sink,” Dr Ihsanullah was quoted as saying to Asia Financial. “Microplastics are undermining this natural shield against climate change. Tackling plastic pollution is now part of the fight against global warming.”
The scientists behind the study, who are based in China, Hong Kong, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, warn that continued accumulation of microplastics could contribute to ocean warming, increased acidification, biodiversity loss, and threats to coastal food security.
They call for global action to curb plastic production, improve waste management and deepen research into the complex interplay between microplastic pollution and climate dynamics.
Read more: China Develops First Reactor To Convert Ocean CO2 Into Biodegradable Plastics
