engleski

The degradation of real samples of plastic bottles from Adriatic marine litter: vibrational spectroscopy evaluation

In the framework of the compelling problem of anthropogenic debris negatively affecting the marine ecosystems, with a strong impact on marine water quality and life, many studies were carried out in the last decades concerning plastic degradation with the aim of understanding the processes occurring to plastic litter in the marine and coastal environment. The investigation on degradation can be directed toward the comparison of compostable plastics with respect to conventional ones, to the evaluation of plastics recyclability, or to an estimation of the potential generation of secondary microplastics. Within the Italy-Croatia Interreg “ML-Repair” (REducing and Preventing, an integrated Approach to Marine Litter Management in the Adriatic Sea) project, a selection of about 150 marine litter bottles was examined. These were a result of Fishing for Litter (FfL, the removal and correct disposal of ML recovered during fishing activities) practiced from Italian Northern Adriatic and Dalmatian (Croatia) channel waters and open waters. A systematic investigation was carried out on PET bottles bodies and necks – parts that undergo different manufacturing and are also differently exposed to the environment - and, where present, on their caps and seals, made of HD-PE (high density polyethylene). This allowed a parallel study of two polymers evolution in the marine environment.

marine litter, plastic, degradation

nije evidentirano