Unveiling the impact of anthropogenic wastes on greenhouse gas emissions from the enigmatic mangroves of Indian Sundarban

Abstract

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the mangrove ecosystem due to climate change have been an emerging environmental issue in the present scenario. However, the GHGs, emitted through anthropogenic causes in these vulnerable regions are often neglected. The level of soil pollution has increased due to the uncontrolled disposal of wastes from ports, ferry services, plastics, and metals, emitting huge amounts of GHGs. Here, a novel dynamic model on GHG emission was proposed for the simulation of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions using R programming language, where, anthropogenic and environmental drivers were considered. The CO₂ emission was sensitive to HM_eff2 (impact rate of heavy metals on microbial respiration process) and MP_eff3 (impact rate of microplastics on microbial respiration process). The CH₄ dynamics was sensitive to HM_eff1 (impact rate of heavy metal on methanogenesis process) and MP_eff1 (impact rate of microplastics on methanogenesis process) and the N₂O pool was sensitive to N₂O dif rt. (N₂O diffusion rate). Fish waste, heavy metals, and microplastics are the prime emitters of GHG in the Sundarbans. Control and monitoring of plastics, fish wastes, and heavy metals, and strategic implementation of no-plastic or no-waste zones in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would ensure solutions to the present problem.