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It would be quite a bit better if it was all in one place so the bacteria we are engineering to eat them have one particular place they can be deployed instead
by vikramkr 6y ago
It would be quite a bit better if it was all in one place so the bacteria we are engineering to eat them have one particular place they can be deployed instead of the plastic microparticles and polymers wrecking havoc everywhere. If all the plastic was just stable in a giant landfill, it wouldn't even be that much of a problem/a significant ecological risk.
- londons_explore 6y agoIt isn't clear to me quite how risky these plastics are - is a grain of plastic worse than say a grain of sand? Sure, the sand has more density so usually settles sooner, but apart from that both are effectively biologically inert.
- vikramkr 6y agoPlastic is not biologically inert. Micro plastics accumulate inside tissues and many plastics contain endocrine disruptors, including some non BPA plastics. Glass waste (basically just sand) is not a big problem pollution wise since like sand it's basically just a rock, but plastic does break down slowly, making it far more of a concern.
- londons_explore 6y agoSand and rocks break down slowly too, and frequently give off heavy metals, arsenic, etc. in the process. What's key is defining the magnitude of the harm of each, and just stating 'X million microparticles' doesn't do it.