Sunlight produces thousands of compounds from plastic

By 2021-10-15T09:13:00

A plastic bag floating in water with the sun shining through

Source: © Damsea/Shutterstock

Scientists dispel the theory that sunlight exposure simply fragments macroplastics that persist in the environment, but what are the implications for the environment?

Scientists have discovered that sunlight can chemically breakdown plastics into tens of thousands of new compounds, with many being water soluble. This discovery dispels the prevalent theory that sunlight exposure simply physically fragments macroplastics into microplastics in the marine environment, turning them into smaller particles that are chemically similar to the original material and that persist in the environment.

Find out more and download the starter slide to use with your class and give a new context when studying polymers and recycling with your 14–16 students.

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