Oceans Awash With Microscopic Plastic, Scientists Say

[donsu]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/05/0506_040506_oceanplastic.html#main

Beaches worldwide bear witness to the ugly impact of plastic debris on our oceans. Milk jugs, water bottles, cigarette lighters, diaper liners, jar lids, cheap toys, and goodness knows what else festoon tide lines today. But this may just scratch the surface.

A new study suggests that microscopic bits of plastic have sifted, unseen, throughout the marine environment. The plastic not only litters the beach, it is—like fine bits of sand—becoming the beach.

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"Estimates for the longevity of plastic range from a hundred to a thousand years," Thompson said. "Since we've only been plastics for 40 years, we still don't have a full handle on their longevity."

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I couldn't pick a paragraph to describe the negative impact these microscopic plastic pieces are having because there were too many of equal horror.

as an aside: we are breathing tire rubber. our roads and sides of roads are the home of rubber particules. that blow here and there, and into our lungs.

[indigobusiness]

1. A conundrum: Since Man is part of nature, how can any human byproduct

be unnatural?

I've fought for a healthy planet all my life, but this question perplexes me.

Thanks for bringing this article to my attention.

I'm sickened by the prognosis.

[htuttle]

6. One might say, "As natural as cancer"

The moment humans learned to control fire, we assumed a responsibility we weren't really ready for yet.

We'd better figure it all out quicker than we have, or we'll have the same effect on the planet as a malignant tumor.

[kestrel91316]

2. The microbiologist in me hopes that...................

some clever little sea microbe will find all these plastic bits a very tasty snack. It will then replicate logarithmically and, voila, no more plastic problem. (oh, a girl can dream, right?)

[liontamer]

4. fungus farmers are our best hope

Fungus naturally decomposes things. We need to fund research using fungus to clean up the mess we've made

[Dogmudgeon]

3. Plastic is an organic substance

It will biodegrade.

I think 1000 years is pushing the upper limit; even 100 years is a pretty high figure for most plastics in a corrosive environment like seawater. Some plastics biodegrade in a matter of weeks. But this is still a serious problem -- even five or six years of un-biodegraded activity in the ecosystem can be incredibly destructive.

--bkl

[liontamer]

5. biodegrade into what?

Just because something breaks down doesn't mean it isn't breaking down into something toxic