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Plastic degradation in marine bacteria describes when certain pelagic bacteria break down polymers and use them as a primary source of carbon for energy. Polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are incredibly useful for their durability and relatively low cost of production, however it is their persistence and difficulty to be properly ...
Marine plastic pollution. The pathway by which plastics enters the world's oceans. Marine plastic pollution is a type of marine pollution by plastics, ranging in size from large original material such as bottles and bags, down to microplastics formed from the fragmentation of plastic material. Marine debris is mainly discarded human rubbish ...
The plastisphere is a human-made ecosystem consisting of organisms able to live on plastic waste. Plastic marine debris, most notably microplastics, accumulates in aquatic environments and serves as a habitat for various types of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. [1][2] As of 2022, an estimated 51 trillion microplastics are floating ...
Dr. Tianxi Yang and his team have created a small, portable device that can accurately measure microplastics in water samples within minutes. The innovative tool consists of a 3D-printed box ...
Microplastics are fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm (0.20 in) in length, [1] according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [2][3] and the European Chemicals Agency. [4] They cause pollution by entering natural ecosystems from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, food packaging, and ...
"Microplastics and nanoplastics are found throughout the environment in our soil, air, and water, and their presence is a complex and evolving area of science," a spokesperson told Grist, adding ...
e. Human activities affect marine life and marine habitats through overfishing, habitat loss, the introduction of invasive species, ocean pollution, ocean acidification and ocean warming. These impact marine ecosystems and food webs and may result in consequences as yet unrecognised for the biodiversity and continuation of marine life forms.
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. [1][2] Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized by size into micro-, meso-, or macro debris. [3] Plastics are inexpensive and durable ...