Persistence of plastic debris and its colonization by bacterial communities after two decades on the abyssal seafloor.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Krause S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7289819 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Persistence of plastic debris and its colonization by bacterial communities after two decades on the abyssal seafloor.
Krause S S Molari M M Gorb E V EV Gorb S N SN Kossel E E Haeckel M M
Scientific reports 20200611 1
The fate of plastic debris entering the oceans is largely unconstrained. Currently, intensified research is devoted to the abiotic and microbial degradation of plastic floating near the ocean surface for an extended period of time. In contrast, the impacts of environmental conditions in the deep sea on polymer properties and rigidity are virtually unknown. Here, we present unique results of plastic items identified to have been introduced into deep-sea sediments at a water depth of 4150 m in the ...[more]
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