The production of virgin plastics is projected to rise 40% by 2030, deepening the plastic crisis. 8 to 12 million tonnes of plastic enter oceans annually, and much of this waste is linked to land-based sources that often impact freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, including wetlands. We might not encounter wetlands every day unless we live very close to one, but they are an incredibly important ecosystem for us to care for and maintain.
What is a wetland?
Wetlands are areas where water covers the land. Oftentimes, these areas are near bodies of water and transition from those bodies of water, like oceans and lakes, to dry land. They can be covered by water seasonally or permanently and support thriving ecosystems. According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), there are five general types of wetlands:
1. Marine (ocean)
2. Estuarine (estuary)
3. Riverine (river)
4. Lacustrine (lake)
5. Palustrine (marsh)
Other names for wetlands that you may have heard before are marshes, estuaries, mangroves, mudflats, mires, ponds, fens, swamps, deltas, coral reefs, billabongs, lagoons, shallow seas, bogs, lakes, and floodplains.
Why is it important to protect wetlands?
Wetland habitats are essential to the filtration of water. They provide habitat to unique species of birds, butterflies, and plants while acting as natural flood and erosion control. When it rains heavily, wetlands soak up the excess rain and slow waterways, which helps protect properties from flood damage, as wetlands act as a barrier.
When we don’t protect wetlands, we remove this vital natural resource that serves us in countless ways. We remove the barrier to pollutants that get filtered out. We remove a resource that provides wildlife habitat, which, when gone, reduces biodiversity.
Four studies that show how plastic pollution impacts wetlands
Plastic pollution is increasingly a threat to wetlands. With an estimated 8 to 12 million tonnes of plastic entering the oceans annually, this also affects freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, including wetlands. The following four studies show the impact plastic pollution has on wetlands.
1. How does plastic impact wetland Soil-Plant Systems?
Soil is an essential component of a healthy ecosystem. Research has shown that plastics can impact soil in wetlands by increasing greenhouse gas emissions and altering the CO2 and N2O fluxes from wetlands. The presence of plastic in wetlands has also been found to decrease soil enzyme activity and increase organic matter and carbon. This means reactions stimulated by enzymes and produced by microbes that are expected to occur in soil are drastically slowed down.
Plastic contamination in wetlands impacts plant health and soil properties while contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. A look at various wetland studies shows that plastic pollution reduces the survival rates and growth of wetland plants while increasing oxidative stress, which is the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within a plant that surpasses its ability to process or neutralize them.
When fertilizers and pesticides enter wetlands, it further complicates the ecological impacts of plastics, as noted in studies with a decline in biodiversity.
2. Microplastic found in abundance in wetlands
There are different levels of microplastic abundance, depending on the wetland type and location. Inland wetlands have higher levels of microplastics than coastal wetlands. After studying sediment samples, the predominant plastic types are clear and fibrous. Clear plastics can be found in single-use PET bottles and other single-use clear plastic packaging. It is important to note the sources that support the decrease in their usage.
3. Most plastic consumed by marine animals is also found in wetlands
Plastics found in coastal wetlands impact both the terrestrial and oceanic systems. The most dominant forms of plastic pollution is found in wetlands and oceans inside the stomachs of ocean wildlife and sediment in wetlands. These predominant plastics tend to be clear and include plastic bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers, beverage bottle caps, straws, stirrers, and cigarette butts.
4. Wetlands become a sink for toxic microplastics
A sink is a place or environment that absorbs or stores something over time. Wetlands are a potential sink for microplastics and, as such, a toxicological risk, according to one study from the School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University. According to the same study, when microplastics enter an aquatic system, they have been shown to do the following.
- Reduce food intake
- Delay growth
- Cause oxidative damage
- Act as a neurotoxin
Here are three ways to support your local wetlands
There are many ways to support your local wetlands. Here are ways to stay conscious and active
1. Volunteer for your local wetlands. Locate your local Fish and Wildlife team and sign up for cleanups and habitat restoration projects.
2. Prevent and pick up litter. Often, the trash we see on the streets makes its way to wetlands. You can stop it in its tracks by participating in cleanup events and minimizing waste by making reuse a priority.
3. Plant native plants. When we support the native plant life in our communities, we help create a habitat for native wildlife. It also helps avoid invasive plants that can outcompete native wetland plants and disrupt the ecosystem. You can use the Native Plant Finder to locate the best plants for your area.
Adapting a #refillit lifestyle can dramatically reduce the usage of some of the most common single-use plastic pollution found in wetlands. #ChooseYourPATH on this World Wetlands Day and every day.
Resources
https://www.wwt.org.uk/our-work/threats-to-wetlands/pollution-and-wetlands
https://medwet.org/2023/06/wetlands-combatting-plastic-pollution-and-preserving-our-planet/
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/wetland.html
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4844514
https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589471424000019 http://hjhx.rcees.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.7524/AJE.1673-5897.20231121001