By the middle of the century, the oceans and continents of the planet Earth will be covered with layers of plastic waste due to human activities, according to the results of a study carried out by staff at the University of Leicester.
As part of the study, the results of which were published in the journal Anthropocene , scientists studied the evidence that we live in the Anthropocene era - an era in which humanity seriously affects the geology of the planet. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the surface of the planet changes significantly due to the production of long-lived materials, and as a result we enter the Plastic Age.
Jan Zalasevich, a professor of palebiology at the Department of Geology at the University of Leicester, explained:
“Our grandparents practically did not know plastic when they were children. However, now plastic materials are almost irreplaceable in our life. They are used everywhere: in food packaging, containers for water and milk, boxes for eggs, yogurt and chocolate, in packages for medicines. In addition, most of our clothes are made of plastic. ”
“Plastic can be found anywhere on Earth, from the tops of the mountains to the depths of the ocean - and one day, in the distant future, it will become fossil. We produce a billion tons of plastic every three years. If all the plastic produced in the last few decades were packaging film, it could cover the entire Earth. Given the steady increase in production, by the middle of the century several more such imaginary layers will be added. ”
Researchers say that plastic has such a long-term effect on the geology of the planet because of its inertness and its almost complete immunity to biodegradation. As a result, when the terrain is contaminated with plastic waste, it becomes part of the soil, ends up in the sea and kills plankton, fish and seabirds.
Based on Science Daily
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