A newly developed plant-based plastic material releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic when exposed to sunlight and seawater, a new study has found.
The research, led by experts from the University of Portsmouth and the Flanders Marine Institute , in Belgium, looked at how two different types of plastic break down when tested in extreme conditions.
"It's important to understand how these materials behave when they're exposed to extreme environments, so we can predict how they'll work when they're used in marine applications, like building a boat hull, and what impact they might have on ocean life. These particles are known as 'microplastics' and have been observed in most marine ecosystems, posing a serious threat to aquatic life.
The research also found that the size and shape of the tiny plastic pieces released depended on the type of plastic. The conventional plastic released smaller pieces and had fewer fibre-like shapes compared to the plant-based plastic. Professor Dhakal is a member of the Revolution Plastics initiative that has been instrumental in informing national and global policies on plastics, pioneering advanced enzyme recycling techniques and contributing to critical discussions on the UN treaty to end plastic pollution.
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