What is the ultimate fate for plastic waste in the sea? Will it form sediment that gets buried beneath the seabed and eventually turns into plastic 鈥渙il鈥� or 鈥渃oal鈥�?
鈥� Plastics are gradually fragmented into ever smaller pieces. First, microplastics were seen in sediments in the oceans, now nanofragments are being found. They have been seen in all the oceans and in all the deepest trenches. In the Mariana trench, all crustaceans tested had plastics in their guts.
According to Alan Jamieson of Newcastle University, UK: 鈥淭hese observations are the deepest possible record of microplastic occurrence and ingestion, indicating it is highly likely there are no marine ecosystems left that are not impacted by anthropogenic debris.鈥�
Advertisement
V. Alton Dohner, Bandon, Oregon, USA
鈥� Plastic will indeed accumulate in sediments, and will in due course become a marker of the present geological period. Future geologists will no doubt call this the Plasticene.
Richard Whybray, Omagh, Tyrone, UK
We pay 拢25 for every answer published in 快猫短视频. To answer this question 鈥� or ask a new one 鈥� email lastword@newscientist.com.
Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.
快猫短视频 retains total editorial control over the published content and reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material that has been submitted by readers in any medium or in any format.
You can also submit answers by post to: The Last Word, 快猫短视频, 25 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ES.