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Consecuencias biogeoquímicas sutiles de los microplásticos biodegradables y convencionales en los sistemas de carbono

Kun Qiao¹, Wen-Xiong Wang²

¹Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China.

Journal of hazardous materials

|September 2, 2025

Resumen

Los microplásticos en los ecosistemas de carbono azul interrumpen el ciclo de los nutrientes. Los MP de ácido poliláctico biodegradable (PLA) aumentan inesperadamente la liberación de fósforo, lo que plantea riesgos a largo plazo para los entornos costeros.

Área de la Ciencia:

Ciencias del medio ambiente
Biología marina
Biogeoquímica

Sus antecedentes:

Los ecosistemas de carbono azul secuestran los microplásticos (MP).
Las pruebas de campo sobre los impactos biogeoquímicos de MP son limitadas.
Los manglares estuarinos son sumideros vitales de carbono vulnerables a la contaminación por plástico.

Objetivo del estudio:

Investigar los efectos biogeoquímicos del polipropileno (PP) y del ácido poliláctico (PLA) en los manglares estuarios.
Evaluar las respuestas de la comunidad microbiana y el ciclo de nutrientes a la exposición a MP.
Evaluar las consecuencias a largo plazo de los PM convencionales y biodegradables en los ecosistemas costeros.

Principales métodos:

Exposición in situ de los sedimentos de los manglares al PP y al PLA.
Análisis metagenómico de las comunidades microbianas.
Medición del ciclo del carbono, el nitrógeno y el fósforo.
Gradientes difusos bidimensionales en películas delgadas (2D-DGGT) para el análisis de los gradientes de nutrientes.

Principales resultados:

La exposición al PLA perturba transitoriamente el ciclo de carbono, nitrógeno y fósforo, aumentando el carbono orgánico sedimentario y el fósforo disponible.
La acidificación inducida por el PLA movilizó el fósforo, aumentando significativamente las concentraciones de fósforo lábiles.
La exposición a PP no causó cambios funcionales comparables.
Las comunidades microbianas mostraron resiliencia funcional a la exposición a largo plazo al PLA, pero persistió la fuga de fósforo.

Conclusiones:

Los microplásticos, en particular el PLA biodegradable, pueden alterar sutilmente las redes biogeoquímicas de los estuarios.
Los MP biodegradables presentan riesgos inesperados de fuga de fósforo a largo plazo.
La gestión costera sostenible debe tener en cuenta tanto los plásticos convencionales como los biodegradables.

Palabras clave:

Microplásticos biodegradables Los ecosistemas de carbono azul Biogeoquímica costera Contaminación por microplásticos Movilización del fósforo

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