In a new study in Environmental Science & Technology, one team used computer modeling to study how far bits of lightweight plastic travel when falling into the Mediterranean Sea.
The aim of the project is to boost maritime sustainability by preventing plastics from harming the environment, and since plastics are formed from fossil fuels, to also lower CO2 emissions.
The degradation status of the buried particles was investigated, and it was found that, once trapped in the seafloor, they no longer degrade, either due to lack of erosion, oxygen, or light.
With an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic waste escaping to our oceans each year, plastic pollution adversely affects the environment, climate, and even our health.
