German-Indonesian research team identifies new rock-like compounds from plastic waste and coral rubble for the first time.
German-Indonesian research team identifies new rock-like compounds from plastic waste and coral rubble for the first time.
Plastic waste is a problem on our beaches. Hence, it is largely removed in a coordinated manner within a few weeks. However, it can litter other coasts of the world for many months to years due to unregulated waste disposal. Often the garbage on the beach is simply burned and a special form of plastic waste is created: so-called plastiglomerate. This "rock" is made up of natural components, such as coral fragments, held together by the melted and reconsolidated plastic. A new study by a German-Indonesian research team at Kiel University has now demonstrated, using field samples from Indonesia, that such rocks pose an increased environmental risk to coastal ecosystems such as seagrass beds, mangroves or coral reefs. The melted plastic decomposes more quickly into microplastics and is also contaminated with organic pollutants. The researchers recently published the findings in the journal Scientific Reports.
"Until now, there have been rather basic studies describing the formation of plastiglomerates. With our results, we have shown for the first time how plastiglomerate differs from other plastic waste and can make better statements about its environmental impact", says first author Dr Amanda Utami, who works as a scientist at Indonesia's largest science organization (BRIN, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional) and came to Kiel on a three-month fellowship. The research work was made possible by funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and cooperation between BRIN and scientists in the Kiel Marine Science (KMS) priority research area at Kiel University.
Read more at Kiel University
Image: Plastiglomerate of coral rubble held together by melted plastic debris. This artificial "rock" can endanger the environment through greater decomposition into microplastics and higher pollution levels. (© Birgit Mohr, Kiel University)
