On 22/01/2020 10:33, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Wed, 22 Jan 2020 08:39:11 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , "Brian Gaff (Sofa)"
writes
With talk of pollution and microplastic, I see paint degenerate particularly
outside, surly much of it is in microscopic flakes and this has been going
on for years.
Brian

Actually, where do many things go? Rocks become stones, which become
pebbles, which become sand, which becomes microscopic sandy dust and the
inorganic component of soil. How does this differ from the harmful
microscopic grains of degenerated plastic - and, presumably, paint?

While I can understand why large pieces of plastic floating in the sea
can be hazardous to marine life (complete plastic bags ingested by
turtles, whales etc, and seals and dolphins becoming entangled in lost
or discarded fishing nets, for example), the dangers of finer plastic
is not immediately obvious, not to me at least. I would expect most of
it to pass right through and be crapped out as with ordinary marine
food residues. And if some does get absorbed into the organs of the
marine life, is it actually doing any harm? And if we eat said marine
life, is it actually going to harm us? I suspect the answer to both
those questions is no and no.

And does the plastic never break down in the sea; is it there 'for
ever' as we're so often being told? Well, no. It breaks down into
finer and finer pieces, certainly, but that just exposes more surface
for the plastic-munching bacteria to get at and hasten the eventual
decomposition of the plastic. The lifetime of plastics in the oceans
is finite.

See for example,
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/10/...ce-is-winning/

My own view is that we should take an intelligent view of plastics.
They are, after all, an essential component of modern living, but we
should use less where we can, and recycle where we can't.

and simply burn where we can't recycle.


--
€œwhen things get difficult you just have to lie€�

€• Jean Claud Jüncker