A Guide to Producing Nano and Micro Plastics

Plastics in the Environment

Be a Superstar

You have enjoyed that carbonated beverage, it washed down those salty potato snacks a treat. Oh no, you are the horns of a dilemma!! What should you do with the empties?

There is bin twenty feet away. Nah, fuck that, you cannot be arsed to walk twenty feet and use the bin, just chuck it in the bushes. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Well done and thank you. That act of littering is unlikely to kill you but kill someone or something it will. Wildlife will suffer immediately and over time that plastic will find its way to the sea. On that journey the plastics will poison the ground, poison water courses, and leave behind particles that will end up in the food that you will eat.

And like smoking and vaping the damage will come knocking in old age. It may not be you. but it will be someone you know dying from a plastic induced disorder.

Well done and thank you.

Plastic Breakdown in the Environment

Once littered plastic starts its centuries long journey to decay. Plastic has patience, it has time on its side. Plastic will see the Litterer to their grave, the come and go of families, a witness to history.

Plastic is broken down by mechanical processes that break its polymer chains.

The mechanical processes are:

1.      Heat, and,
2.          Sunlight, and,
3.      Dyes, and,
4.      Additives.

Perhaps surprisingly, the effect of temperature is often greater than the effect of UV exposure to the breakdown of plastics.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes the significant degradation of plastics. UV radiation causes photooxidative degradation which results in breaking of the polymer chains, produces free radicals and reduces the molecular weight, causing deterioration of mechanical properties and leading to useless materials, after an unpredictable time.

Polystyrene (PS), one of the most important materials in the modern plastic industry, has been used all over the world, due to its excellent physical properties and low-cost. When polystyrene is subjected to UV irradiation in the presence of air, it undergoes a rapid yellowing and a gradual embrittlement.

The mechanism of PS photolysis in the solid state (film) depends on the mobility of free radicals in the polymer matrix and their bimolecular recombination.

Almost all synthetic polymers require stabilization against adverse environmental effects. It is necessary to find a means to reduce or prevent damage induced by environmental components such as heat, light, or oxygen.

The photo stabilisation of polymers may be achieved by:  

1.      light screeners, or,
2.         UV absorbers, or,
3.      excited-state quenchers, or,
4.      peroxide decomposers, or
5.      free radical scavengers, individually or in combination.

Of these, it is generally believed that excited-state quenchers, peroxide decomposers, and free radical scavengers are the most effective.

Research into degradation and ageing of polymers is extremely intensive and new materials are being synthesized with a pre-programmed lifetime. New stabilizers are becoming commercially available although their modes of action are sometimes not thoroughly elucidated.

Environment

Where the plastic ends up affects its rate of deterioration.

Plastics in the sea degrade more slowly as the oceans are cooler than land mass.

Materials buried in landfill do not degrade by photo-oxidation at all, though they may gradually decay by other processes. 

Mechanical stress can affect the rate of photo-oxidation and may also accelerate the physical breakup of plastic objects.

Stress can be caused by mechanical load (tensile and shear stresses) or even by temperature cycling, particularly in composite systems consisting of materials with differing temperature coefficients of expansion. Similarly, sudden rainfall can cause thermal stress.

Effects of Dyes and other Additives

Dyes and pigments are used in polymer materials to provide colour however they can also affect the rate of photo-oxidation.

Many additives absorb UV rays and in so doing protect the polymer, however absorption can cause the additive to enter an excited state where they may attack the polymer.

Blanket Coverage

In the autumn in our woodlands biological warfare is conducted by the trees. As they drop their leaves to the ground they deny any low lying plants access to light and oxygen stopping them from stealing those resources. What is mine is mine, what is yours is mine.

Plastic litter is chemical warfare on nature. Densely littered ground is denied access to the environment killing everything immediately below. Water cannot evaporate raising the risk of flooding. When covered by the natural detritus composting is halted and a soup of biochemical sludge starts to be cooked up.

Overtime the plastic flexes in the breeze and as it becomes more brittle bits start to break off leading to nano and micro particles to wander into the food chain. Overtime the branding on the packaging will leach its dye into the watercourse for you to drink.

Plastic litter is chemical warfare on You.

KEEP LITTER OUT OF NATURE