School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Isle of Anglesey LL595AB, UK.
School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Isle of Anglesey LL595AB, UK.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Sep;194(Pt A):115434. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115434. Epub 2023 Aug 25.
Complex networks of above-ground roots and trunks make mangrove forests trap plastic litter. We tested how macroplastics relate to tree biomass, root abundance, mangrove geomorphology and river mouth proximity, surveying landward and seaward margins of seven forests in the Philippines, a global hotspot for marine plastic pollution. Macroplastics were abundant (mean ± s.e.: 1.1 ± 0.22 items m; range: 0.05 ± 0.05 to 3.79 ± 1.91), greatest at the landward zone (mean ± s.e.: 1.60 ± 0.41 m) and dominated by land-derived items (sachets, bags). Plastic abundance and weight increased with proximity to river mouths, with root abundance predicting plastic litter surface area (i.e., the cumulative sum of all the surface areas of each plastic element per plot). The study confirms rivers are a major pathway for marine plastic pollution, with mangrove roots are the biological attribute that regulate litter retention. The results suggest land-based waste management that prevent plastics entering rivers will reduce marine plastic pollution in Southeast Asia.
地上的根系和树干构成的复杂网络使红树林成为塑料垃圾的陷阱。我们调查了菲律宾 7 片红树林的陆地和海洋边缘，以研究大型塑料与树木生物量、根系丰度、红树林地貌和河口接近度的关系，菲律宾是全球海洋塑料污染的热点地区。大型塑料非常丰富（平均值±标准误：1.1±0.22 个 m；范围：0.05±0.05 至 3.79±1.91），在陆地边缘区域最多（平均值±标准误：1.60±0.41 m），主要由陆地衍生物品（小袋、袋子）组成。塑料的丰度和重量随与河口的距离而增加，根系丰度预测了塑料垃圾的表面积（即每个斑块中每个塑料元素的表面积总和）。该研究证实河流是海洋塑料污染的主要途径，而红树林的根系是调节垃圾滞留的生物属性。研究结果表明，防止塑料进入河流的陆基废物管理将减少东南亚的海洋塑料污染。
