The previous post provided a brief outline on how plastics enter forests, in this post, we will be going into more detail about the effects of these plastics. Plastic pollution carries a host of negative impacts on forest ecosystems and forest health. Perhaps the most dangerous of all are microplastics, as these microscopic pieces of plastics are difficult to see. In addition to its small size, the surfaces of these tiny fragments could also be possible carriers of pathogenic pests like bacteria and viruses, and potentially act as vectors for these.

Microplastics could possibly interact with soil fauna, affecting their health and functions. For example, the presence of microplastics in the soil causes earthworms to make their burrows differently, as a result affecting the earthworm’s fitness and health conditions. This then can lead to a domino effect, where there are further damages to the rest of the environment or forest ecosystems as it affects forest flora that are dependent on these earthworms (Wadhwa and Umapathy, 2020).

Microplastics could also become bioaccumulated in forest wildlife, this would then eventually lead to its accumulation and concentration in the food chain as well. Microplastics releases additives such as pthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA) which could lead to disruptions in the hormone systems of both vertebrates and invertebrates (Lenoir et al., 2016). Plastics could also leach chemicals like fire retardants, parabens, artificial dyes into the soil and water systems, binding to different particles and thus causing them to be persistent (Wadhwa and Umapathy, 2020).

 

The presence of plastic material and especially microplastics are a very real problem. Its effects are long lasting and extremely damaging, thus it is imperative for us to first stop the deposit of plastics into forest environments, and start to remove them.

 

References:

Lenoir, A., Boulay, R., Dejean, A., Touchard, A., & Cuvillier-Hot, V. (2016). Phthalate pollution in an amazonian rainforest. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 23(16), 16865-16872. doi:10.1007/s11356-016-7141-z

Wadhwa, S., & Umapathy, A. (2020, May 14). What is the Effect of Plastic in Forests and Wildlife?: RePurpose Global Blog. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://repurpose.global/letstalktrash/what-is-the-effect-of-plastic-in-forests-and-wildlife/