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Following degradation and fragmentation of plastic litter over two years' weathering on Swedish beaches
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Researchers weathered ten common beach litter items on exposed Swedish coastlines for up to two years, finding that while chemical and thermal degradation remained minor, several polymers lost 17–71% of tensile strength and visibly fragmented, confirming that beach litter is an active source of microplastic formation that warrants rapid cleanup.
Plastic litter stranded on beaches is a worldwide problem. The harsh conditions, intense UV radiation, fluctuating temperatures and mechanical abrasion from wind and wave forces, should favour macroplastic degradation and increase fragmentation rate. In a field experiment, ten types of commonly found beach litter items of a variety of polymers, product categories and colours, were placed on two highly exposed beaches on the Swedish west coast. Samples were analysed after 6, 12 and 24 months of exposure, and compared to pristine, un-weathered control items, following degradation by measuring changes in chemical composition (FTIR), thermal properties (DSC), mechanical properties (tensile strength) and morphological feature of surface structure (SEM), while fragmentation was indicated from visual inspection, weight loss and analysis of discolouration. Also, after two years' exposure, only minor signs of chemical and thermal degradation and changes in surface morphology were found. Still, after 6-24 months' exposure, several litter items, including string (PE), candy paper (LDPE), plastic bag (LDPE), rope (PP), fishing net (PA), container lid (PET), Styrofoam (ESP) and beach toy (PVC) samples, demonstrated decolouration, weight loss and had already fragmented, or were brittle enough to have the potential to do so as shown by major loss (17-71%) in tensile strength. Candy paper had lost 71% of tensile strength after 12 months, and after 24 months, samples were transparent and > 50% were disintegrated. Our results highlight beach litter as source for microplastic pollution and support management with swift beach cleaning activities of heavily polluted sites to remove macroplastics before microplastics are formed.
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Polyethylene films were artificially aged to four levels of thermooxidative degradation, then deployed in seawater cages off the Swedish coast for 12 weeks to track in-situ degradation and fragmentation. The study found that pre-weathering significantly accelerated further deterioration in the marine environment, with implications for how plastic debris breaks down into microplastics.
Combined Effects of UV Exposure Duration and Mechanical Abrasion on Microplastic Fragmentation by Polymer Type
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Researchers studied how UV exposure duration and mechanical abrasion combine to fragment different plastic types under simulated beach conditions. They found that polypropylene was far more susceptible to fragmentation than polyethylene after UV weathering, while expanded polystyrene broke apart readily even without UV exposure. The experiments showed that a large fraction of fragmented particles were too small to recover, suggesting that significant amounts of nanoplastic are being generated on beaches.
Laboratory-Simulated Photoirradiation Reveals Strong Resistance of Primary Macroplastics to Weathering
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Laboratory weathering experiments showed that common plastic items (HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, PC) retain their bulk structural integrity even after simulated UV and mechanical exposure equivalent to decades of coastal conditions, yet shed a thin surface layer rich in microplastic fragments. This means macroplastics in the ocean act as a persistent, long-term source of microplastic particles even when they appear physically intact.
Influence of weathering on the microplastics formation in the environment
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Researchers simulated UV weathering of polypropylene plastic and tracked how exposure progressively degraded the polymer, causing surface cracking and changes in mechanical properties that facilitate breakdown into microplastics. The results help explain how environmental weathering of plastic waste accelerates microplastic formation.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.