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Analysis of the generation of plastic debris and microplastics from geosynthetics
Summary
This paper critically analyzes claims linking geosynthetic materials to microplastic generation, arguing that the environmental benefits of geosynthetics — such as preventing erosion and improving waste containment — far outweigh the minimal plastic debris they produce compared to alternative materials. The work is relevant to microplastic research by quantifying geosynthetics as a relatively minor source compared to other plastic pathways.
The uncontrolled generation and dispersion of plastic debris and microplastics in the environment and particularly in the oceans has become a global problem. The present paper intends to critically analyse the source and quantities of microplastic debris produced by geosynthetics vs the environmental benefits afforded by geosynthetics. The paper considers the environmental innovation in the geosynthetics industry. Some fake news which associate geosynthetics to detrimental effects like the generation of plastic debris and microplastics are critically analysed. It is shown that in reality the advantages of geosynthetics are much larger than disadvantages, while detrimental effects are absolutely minimal. The conclusions highlight the undisputable fact that the generation of plastic debris and microplastics from geosynthetics is very limited, and lower than the quantities of microplastics generated by alternative solutions.
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