Plastics Decompose in Oceans Quickly and Release BPA
Published: 26 August 2009
Category: Bisphenol A (BPA), Packaging CONCERNS, Studies/State & Federal Regulations, Sustainability
“BBC News” reports plastics decompose with surprising speed in the oceans, releasing contaminants into the water, according to new research. Dr Saido, a chemist at Nihon University in Chiba, Japan, said his team found that when some plastics decompose they release the chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) and PS oligomers into the water. Thousands of tons of plastic debris end up in the oceans every year. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch between California and Hawaii is one such expanse, which is thought to be about twice the size of Texas.