University of Stuttgart: Study on the degradation rate of plastic particles under different conditions

With more than 5 billion plastic particles floating on the surface of our oceans, it is causing enormous damage to organisms, fragile underwater ecosystems and even the clima.

That shipwreck accident indirectly contributed value to scientific resear.

Plastic particles in shipwrecks: 20 years after disaster, little underwater degradation has occurred

Plastic particles on the beach: The degradation of particles is already in full swing

It had previously been estimated that it would take centuries to thousands of years for polyethylene, one of the most common plastics, to fully degrade in the oce.

Dr Franz Brümmer and Pr.

The consortium led by the two scientists includes the Scientific Diving Team (WiTUS) and the Institute of Polymer Technology at the University of Stuttgart, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and partners in Egy.

3D image of plastic pellets with cracks shown in blue

Microscopic, chemical and mechanical tests quickly revealed major differences in the degradation process in the two cas.

There are signs of degradation compared to the original reference samp.

UV radiation and high temperatures on beaches are major factors in the degradation of plastics on beach.

"While the degradation of the plastic particles on the beach was nearly as good, the plastic particles trapped in the wreck 18 m underwater showed little sign of degradation," Brümmer and Schnepf sa.

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