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Microplastic sources and distribution in tropical mangroves: Natural and planted systems in China
Author(s)
Pradit, Siriporn
Loh, Pei Sun
Jitkaew, Preyanuch
Noppradit, Prakrit
Nitiratsuwan, Thongchai
Le, Thi Phuong Quynh
Oeurng, Chantha
Sok, Ty
Mohamed, Che Abd Rahim
Lee, Choon Weng
Bong, Chui Wei
Anshari, Gusti Z.
Kandasamy, Selvaraj
Wang, Jianjun
Chinfak, Narainrit
Lu, Xixi
Date Issued
August 1, 2026
Type
Article
Abstract
Mangrove forests sequester microplastics (MPs); however, the long-term accumulation efficiency of planted and natural mangrove forests remains poorly understood. MP pollution poses a pervasive threat to coastal ecosystems worldwide. We reconstructed the burial record of MPs in 1-m sediment cores from two contrasting mangrove ecosystems in China: a planted forest on Ximen Island (four cores) and a natural forest in Fangchenggang (two cores). MPs were present in all sediment layers and identified by stereomicroscope and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Fibers overwhelmingly dominated the MP assemblage (88.6–98.2% in planted mangroves; 90.8–92.6% in natural mangroves), with the polymer profile (rayon, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate) strongly implicating local fishing and aquaculture activities as primary sources. MP contamination dates to at least 1963 in the natural forest and 1989 in the planted forest, thereby providing a >50-year and >30-year pollution record, respectively. Although total MP abundance exhibited no simple increasing trend with depth, the natural mangrove sequestered a significantly ( p < 0.001) higher MP burden than the plantation. The co-occurrence of an early onset and great contamination magnitude in the natural forest underlines superior particle-trapping efficiency of its mature, complex vegetation structure. Therefore, natural mangroves are critical long-term archives for coastal MP pollution; their conservation is vital for carbon sequestration and mitigating coastal plastic pollution.
Citation
Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 336, 2026