Research: Plastic Actually can be Broke Down Naturally in Just Decade

News24xx.com - When exposed to sunlight, polystyrene can break down in as little as decades or centuries, rather than thousands of years, a study from the US reveals.

The ubiquitous plastic — which is used for assorted applications from takeaway boxes to packaging materials — is often considered to last 'forever'.

However experts using a sun-simulating lamp found they could chemically degrade polystyrene slowly, releasing organic carbon and trace amounts of carbon dioxide.

Governments writing policies banning or limiting the use of the plastic may be working without knowing the full facts, the researchers argue.

'Policymakers generally assume that polystyrene lasts forever in the environment,' said paper author and marine chemist Collin Ward of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, in the US. 

'That's part of justification for writing policy that bans it.'

'We're not saying that plastic pollution isn't bad, just that the persistence of polystyrene in the environment may be shorter and likely more complicated than we previously understood'

'Just look at plastic playground toys, park benches, or lawn chairs, which can rapidly become sun-bleached,' said Dr Ward.

According to the researchers, however, sunlight does not only cause the plastics to physically break down, but also causes them to degrade chemically.

 

 

NEWS24XX.COM/CTR