Nanostructural changes in low density polyethylene with marine degradation

Abstract:

Waste from consumer packaging threatens to provide a long lasting environmental reminder of the Anthropocene era.  Using waste packaging sampled from the North Atlantic gyre and commercial packaging we have shown that there are well-defined nanostructural changes associated with marine exposure.1  A mechanistic model for these structural changes is proposed.  The model suggests the factors which ultimately determine the lifetime of polyethylene in the marine environment.   The observations also have implications for the lifetime of recycled polyethylene.  Simple conclusions can be drawn on the continued use of valuable petrochemical resources for disposable packaging.

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1. Garvey, C. J.;  Impéror-Clerc, M.;  Rouzière, S.;  Gouadec, G.;  Boyron, O.;  Rowenczyk, L.;  Mingotaud, A. F.; ter Halle, A., Molecular-Scale Understanding of the Embrittlement in Polyethylene Ocean Debris. Environmental Science & Technology 2020, 54 (18), 11173-11181.

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