Ocean plastic “virtually unaltered” after a quarter of a century

First long-term, “scientifically sound” study on plastic degradation in a water depth of more than 4,000 meter.

Even in the most remote regions of the oceans plastic debris can be found. But usually it is impossible to determine how long they have been lying on the seabed.

Up to now, this has also hampered any attempt to estimate how long plastic degradation might take.

Scientists led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have now, for the first time, examined plastic items that have verifiably been at the abyssal seabed for more than 20 years.

As the researchers publish in the online journal Scientific Reports, they could not find any traces of fragmentation or even degradation.

Read on via Circular.