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Polyester fibres slowly degrade in marine sediments
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Researchers evaluated the degradation of polyester, rayon, and cotton sewing threads buried in marine sediment in Waitematā Harbour, New Zealand over nine months, using tensile strength testing and FTIR spectroscopy to track physical and chemical changes. The study found that polyester fibres degraded very slowly compared to natural fibres, confirming their long-term persistence as microplastic sources in marine sediment environments.
Microplastics are everywhere, including marine sediment. In this study, we evaluated the degradation of polyester, rayon, and cotton sewing threads over nine months when buried in marine sediment in Waitematā Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand. Polyester tensile strength was tested pre- and post-burial to track changes over time. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis enabled the examination of the change to the chemical structural integrity of the polyester molecules over time. After one month, rayon and cotton degraded and were invisible to the eye, while visible signs of polyester degradation were apparent after 6 months of burial. This was confirmed by both tensile strength testing and FTIR chemical analysis. While microplastic pollution remains a serious problem, these findings show that at least one type of common plastic does degrade when buried in marine sediments. This likely has implications for seafloor ecosystem functionality and provides hope for plastic circular economy infrastructure.
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Researchers studied how common synthetic textile fibers — polyester, polyamide, and polyacrylonitrile — degrade in seawater and freshwater under UV light exposure. They found that these fibers release chemical additives as they break down, with polyester and polyamide releasing particularly concerning levels of plastic-related chemicals into the surrounding water.
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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.