Skip to main content

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
Cancel
×
×
Home
  • Home
Article
  • Cited by 6
  • Cited by
    Crossref Citations
    Crossref logo
    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.
    Bravo, M Astudillo, JC Lancellotti, D Luna-Jorquera, G Valdivia, N and Thiel, M 2011. Rafting on abiotic substrata: properties of floating items and their influence on community succession. Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 439, Issue. , p. 1.
    Lucas, Zoe 1992. Monitoring persistent litter in the marine environment on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol. 24, Issue. 4, p. 192.
    Gregory, Murray R 1983. Virgin plastic granules on some beaches of Eastern Canada and Bermuda. Marine Environmental Research, Vol. 10, Issue. 2, p. 73.
    Merrell, Theodore R. 1980. Accumulation of plastic litter on beaches of Amchitka Island, Alaska. Marine Environmental Research, Vol. 3, Issue. 3, p. 171.
    Gregory, Murray R. 1978. Accumulation and distribution of virgin plastic granules on New Zealand beaches. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, Vol. 12, Issue. 4, p. 399.
    Gregory, Murray R 1977. Plastic pellets on New Zealand beaches. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol. 8, Issue. 4, p. 82.
    ×
  • Get access
    Add to cart USD35.00
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    Log in Register Recommend to librarian

Plastics in the Marine Environment

  • Anthony M. Cundell (a1)
Extract

The pollution of the marine environment by plastics such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polyurethane, is discussed. As plastic materials are relatively resistant to oxidative ageing and are generally not degraded by microorganisms, they will accumulate in coastal and oceanic waters. The origin of plastic pollutants, their distribution in the marine environment, and their persistence and ultimate fate, are largely unknown. The technology is available to manufacture plastic materials with a programmed service life which, if widely adopted, would reduce the accumulation of plastics in the sea. But their random distribution should be discouraged on behalf of the marine environment.

Copyright
COPYRIGHT: © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1974
References
Hide All
Anon. (1971 a). Trends in the plastics industry. Modern Plastics, 45, pp. 5–9.
Anon. (1971 b). Biodegradability: lofty goal for plastics. Chem. & Eng. News, 50, pp. 37–8.
Anon. (1973 a). Clearing the shelves for all-plastic soda and beer bottles. Modern Packaging, 10, pp. 22–5.
Anon. (1973 b). Plastic wastes are a burning issue. Chemical Week, 02 28, p. 51.
Arnold, L. K. (1968). Introduction to Plastics. Iowa State University Press, Ames: 287 pp.
Bellan-Santini, D., Arnaud, F., Arnaud, P., Bellan, G., Harmelin, J. G., Lecampion-Alsumard, T., Kit, L. T., Picard, J., Pouliquen, L. & Zibrowius, H. (1970). Etude qualitative et quantitative des salissures biologiques de plaques expérimentales immergées en pleine eau. 1. Conditions de I'expérience. Tethys, 1, pp. 709–14.
Carpenter, E. J. & Smith, K. L. (1972). Plastics on the Sargasso Sea surface. Science, 178, pp. 1240–1.
Carpenter, E. J., Anderson, S. J., Harvey, G. R., Miklas, H. P. & Peck, B. B. (1972). Polystyrene spherules in coastal waters. Science, 178, pp. 749–50.
Coscarelli, W. (1964). Deterioration of organic materials by marine organisms. Pp. 113–47 in Principles and Application of Aquatic Microbiology (Ed. Heukelekian, H. & Dondero, N. C.). John Wiley, New York: xxxiii + 452 pp., illustr.
Cundell, A. M. & Mulcock, A. P. (1973). Measurement of the microbiological deterioration of vulcanized rubber. Material u. Organismen, 8, pp. 1–15.
Darby, R. J. & Kaplan, A. M. (1968). Fungal susceptibility of polyurethanes. Appl. Microbiol., 16, pp. 900–5.
Darnay, A. & Franklin, W. E. (1969). The role of packaging in solid waste management, 1966 to 1976. Publ. SW-5c U.S. Dept of Health, Education and Welfare, Rockville, Maryland, p. 120.
Evans, D. M. & Levisohn, I. (1968). Biodeterioration of polyester-based polyurethane. Int. Biodetn Bull., 4, pp. 89–92.
Heap, W. M. & Morrell, S. H. (1968). Microbiological deterioration of rubbers and plastics. J. Appl. Chem., 18, pp. 189–94.
Heyerdahl, T. (1971). Atlantic Ocean pollution and biota observed by the ‘Ra’ Expeditions. Biological Conservation, 3(3), pp. 164–7, map.
Jannasch, H. W., Eimhjellen, K., Wirsen, C. O. & Farmanfarmaian, A. (1971). Microbial degradation of organic matter in the deep sea. Science, 171, pp. 672–5.
Jones, E. B. G. & Lecampion-Alsumard, T. (1970). The biodeterioration of polyurethane by marine Fungi. Int. Biodetn Bull., 6, pp. 119–24.
Joyner, R. S. (1971). Polyethylene. Modern Plastics, 48, pp. 72, 77, and 80.
Lecampion-Alsumard, T. (1970). Etude qualitative et quantitative des salissures biologiques de plaques expérimentales immergées en pleine eau. 2. Etude préliminaire de quelques pyrenomycetes marins récoltés sur des plaques de polyurethane. Tethys, 1, pp. 715–8.
Mills, J. & Eggins, H. O. W. (1970). Growth of thermophilic Fungi on oxidation products of polyethylene. Int. Biodetn Bull., 6, pp. 13–7.
Muraoka, J. S. (1969). Effect of deep-ocean environment on plastics. Pp. 5–19 in Materials Performance and the Deep Sea. American Society for Testing Materials, Philadelphia: 445 pp.
Pratt, S. D., Saila, S. B., Gaines, A. G. & Krout, J. E. (1973). Biological effects of ocean disposal of solid waste. Marine Technical Report Series, University of Rhode Island, No. 9, 52 pp.
Scott, G. (1972). Plastics packaging and coastal pollution. Intern. J. Environ. Stud., 3, pp. 35–6.
Scott, G. (1973). Improving the environment: Chemistry and plastic waste. New Scientist, pp. 267–72.
Smith, D. D. & Brown, R. P. (1971). Ocean disposal of barge-delivered liquid and solid wastes from U.S. coastal cities. Publ. SW-19c, Solid Waste Management Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pp. 33–4.
Sutherland, J. P. (1972). Quantitative analyses of seasonal progression in the fouling community at Beaufort, North Carolina. Pp. 176–7 in Abstracts, Third International Congress on Marine Corrosion and Fouling, National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 2–6 10 1972.
Venrick, E. L., Backman, T. W., Bartram, W. C., Plah, C. J., Thornhill, M. S. & Yates, R. E. (1973). Manmade objects on the surface of the central North Pacific Ocean. Nature, London, 241, p. 271.
Wood, A. S. (1970). Plastics challenge in packaging: Disposability. Modern Plastics, 47, pp. 50–4
Recommend this journal

Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this journal to your organisation's collection.

Environmental Conservation
  • ISSN: 0376-8929
  • EISSN: 1469-4387
  • URL: /core/journals/environmental-conservation
Please enter your name
Please enter a valid email address
Who would you like to send this to? *

CAPTCHA *

Skip to the audio challenge
×

Metrics

Full text views

Total number of HTML views: 0
Total number of PDF views: 37 *
Loading metrics...

Abstract views

Total abstract views: 311 *
Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between September 2016 - 12th June 2018. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Cancel
Confirm
×