Microplastics are messing with photosynthesis in plants
Microplastics are messing with photosynthesis in plants

www.scientificamerican.com
Microplastics Are Messing with Photosynthesis in Plants

Summary
New research reveals microplastics can reduce plants' photosynthetic ability by 7-12% on average, with variations across terrestrial crops (6-18%), marine plants (2-12%), and freshwater algae (4-14%).
This pollution could cause 4-13.5% yield loss in staple crops over 25 years and decrease seafood production by up to 7% as aquatic ecosystems suffer.
Beyond threatening food security, reduced photosynthesis hampers carbon sequestration efforts critical for climate change.
Researchers estimate that reducing environmental microplastics by just 13% could mitigate photosynthesis loss by 30%.