Plastic Degradation and Fragmentation through Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments

About the Project

Plastics are revered for their low-cost durability due to the stability of their polymer composition. However, this practicality of the material inherently leads to vast environmental consequences. Plastics do not readily biodegrade in the same manner as natural materials, so the primary means of plastic degradation is photodegradation through ultraviolet (UV) light.

Much of the debris that ends up in our oceans originates on land and as plastic litter travels from those terrestrial locations to aquatic habitats it is subjected to varying amounts of light and other environmental conditions.

This study aims to

expose plastics to different sequences of terrestrial, freshwater, and saltwater environments to gain knowledge on rates of degradation as litter travels from land to aquatic habitats. Plastic specimens of three very common plastics (High-density polyethylene, Nylon, and PLA) are subjected to various durations of environmental exposures and then undergo stress tests to gather information about their changes in strength, elasticity, and brittleness.

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Contact us

Anthony Vedral, Extension Associate, Graduate Student

anthony.vedral@msstate.edu

228 546 1027

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(228) 388-4710
1815 Popps Ferry Rd.
Biloxi, MS 39532

Fax: (228) 388 – 1375

Mailstop: 9385

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About Coastal Conservation and RESTORATION program

Our focus areas are broad and adapt to the current needs of stakeholders, but generally involve coastal conservation and restoration projects at local, state, regional, national, and international scales.