We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Evidence of plastics integrating the geological cycle: plastic forms in coastal ecosystems along the southern Brazilian shoreline
AI summary Read the abstract
This study reports the first occurrence of plastiglomerates and plastistones on the Brazilian continental shoreline and the first record in a coastal lagoon ecosystem worldwide, identified using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging. The findings confirm that human plastic pollution is becoming permanently integrated into geological sedimentary records.
Abstract Plastic pollution in the ocean has reached alarming levels, being found deposited on the seafloor, floating on the water column, or stranded in beaches. It has been reported in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere, forming new sedimentary rocks assuming the appearance of rocky material after being burned, cooled, and transported. Here, we report the first occurrence of plastiglomerates (Pgl) and plastistones (Pst) on the continental shoreline of Brazil, and the first record in a coastal lagoon ecosystem worldwide is reported in the present study. In total, one Pgl (Pgl1) and three Pst (Pst1, Pst2, and Pst3) were macro- and microscopically described according to their components and characteristics, and polymers were identified using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI-NIR). Pgl1 showed bivalve shells, metal, and wood as its framework and melted plastic as its cement and matrix. Vesicles (0.5-10 mm) could be observed. Plastistones showed different shapes, textures, roundness, sphericity, and encrusted bryozoans. Pgl1 (margins of a coastal lagoon) consisted of polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Pst1 and Pst2 (sandy beach) consisted of polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS), respectively. Finally, Pst3 (sandy beach) consisted of PS, PE, and PET. The results highlight that human-caused pollution is becoming part of the geological record and reinforces the inclusion of novel plastic debris forms in marine pollution monitoring programs worldwide.
More Papers Like This
First evidence of plastistone, a novel plastic rock composite, from the Maharashtra coast of India
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers identified the first plastistone—a plastic-rock composite fused with microplastics, barnacles, and shells—on the Maharashtra coast of India, with polymers traced to discarded fishing gear. This discovery documents a new geological marker of plastic pollution and underscores the need to include plastistone formations in coastal ecological health monitoring.
Why do plastic debris forms matter for the Anthropocene?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers described the first documented outcrop composed of plastic debris forms on Trindade Island in the SE Atlantic Ocean, identifying both plastiglomerates (melted plastic cemented with volcanic lithoclasts and sand) and a newly defined category termed plastistones (homogeneous melted plastic). FTIR confirmed PE and PP composition, and the ongoing erosion of the outcrop was found to supply microplastics to the adjacent beach sediment.
First record of plastiglomerates, pyroplastics, and plasticrusts in South America
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented the first evidence of plastiglomerates, pyroplastics, and plasticrusts on beaches in South America, adding to the growing global record of these newly described forms of plastic pollution. The study suggests that these formations, where plastic fuses with natural materials like rock and sediment, represent a lasting geological marker of human plastic pollution in coastal environments.
New plastic formations in the Anthropocene
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examined novel plastic formations in the Anthropocene, including pyroplastics, plastiglomerates, and plastic crusts formed through anthropogenic and environmental processes in the marine environment. These new geological materials represent a permanent record of the plastic age and have distinct physical and chemical properties from the original plastics from which they formed.
Plasticrusts, plastiglomerate and pyroplastic: new connections among novel plastic forms
AI summary Read the abstract
Plasticrusts, plastiglomerates, and pyroplastics are newly identified forms of plastic that have fused with rocks, sand, or other natural materials along marine coastlines worldwide. These novel plastic forms are created through weathering, burning, and melting processes and represent a largely unstudied pathway for microplastic generation. Their discovery shows that plastic pollution is transforming coastal environments in ways scientists are only beginning to understand.
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.