As study flags drop in crop production due to microplastics pollution, implications for India – The Tribune-OxBig News Network

A unique study undertaken by a group of 17 experts has suggested that growing levels of microplastics pollution across the world are adversely affecting photosynthesis – the process by which plants produce food – leading not only to significant decrease in the production of key crops but also to overall ecosystem instability.

The study has estimated a global reduction in photosynthesis by 7 to 12 per cent in terrestrial plants and algae resulting in lowering of production by 13.52 per cent for main crops and up to 7.24 percent for global aquatic net primary productivity.

“By analysing a comprehensive dataset of 3,286 records, we quantify the reduction in photosynthesis caused by microplastics across various ecosystems. This reduction is estimated to cause an annual loss of 109.73 to 360.87 million metric tons (MT) for crop production and 1.05 to 24.33 MT for seafood production,” the researchers state.

“These findings underscore the urgency for effective plastic mitigation strategies and provide insights for international researchers and policymakers to safeguard global food supplies in the face of the growing plastic crisis,” the researchers added

The study, published earlier this month in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, a peer reviewed journal brought out in the United States, has implications for India, which is among the largest producers of cereal crops and seafood globally, but is also facing serious food security and environmental pollution challenges.

According to publicly available data, India is the second largest producer of wheat and rice in the world, with an annual output of about 1,133 lakh tonnes and 1,357 lakh tonnes, respectively. This accounts for about 14 per cent of the global wheat production and 26 per cent of the global rice production. In addition, India also ranks second globally in aquaculture and third in total fish production, contributing about eight percent of the world’s output.

Microplastics’ are plastic particles that are smaller than five 5 millimeters and are released from tyre abrasion, shedding of textile fibers, pellets production and paint as well as improper disposal of waste plastic items from everyday use.

Different studies have estimated that in 2024, 31.53 lakh tonnes of microplastics were released into the environment across the world, with China, India, United States and Japan making for over 50 percent of this volume. India was the second largest polluter after China, accounting for 3.91 lakh tonnes.

“Humanity has been striving to increase primary productivity and thus food production to feed an ever-growing population. To achieve this, global initiatives are underway to expand arable land and to enhance primary productivity. These ongoing efforts are now being jeopardised by plastic pollution owing to its ubiquity and negative impact on food security,” the researchers said.

Importantly, these adverse effects are highly likely to extend from food security to planetary health, as photosynthesis and consequently primary productivity serve as the foundation for not only food supply for humans but also key ecological functions, according to the study.

The reduction in primary productivity leads to an imbalance in the predator–prey relationships and overall ecosystem instability, and the cumulative effects of reduced primary productivity have implications for ecological functions, carbon cycling and the provision of ecosystem services, the study adds.