PMC

The size distribution of plastic debris in the Mediterranean (n = 3,901 plastic items; this study) is compared to those measured for plastic accumulation regions in the open ocean (n = 4,184 plastic items; []). Both plastic size distributions were obtained using the same methodology. Horizontal axis shows the size limits of the bins in logarithmic scale. Because the width of the bins is not uniform, the vertical axis (i.e., normalized abundance of plastic) is shown as number of plastic items divided by the width of the bin (in millimeters). In the comparison of the plastic size distributions in Mediterranean and open-ocean waters, note the logarithmic scale of the vertical axis. The percentages (in abundance) of plastic types (pellets/granules, films, fishing threads, foam, fragments) found in the Mediterranean Sea are shown in the chart at the top right corner.

Degradation of foam plastic by Pseudozyma japonica-Y7-09 incubated in yeast malt media for 30 days

(A) PE foam and F-PE/SiO₂ foam schematic diagram of foam plastic preparation process. (B) Illustration of sandpaper abrasion for the foam surface. (C) The SEM image of F-PE/SiO₂ foam. (D) Water on the surface of F-PE/SiO₂ foam. (E) Picture of 30° inclined F-PE/SiO₂ foam polluted by sands before and after water drop washing ().

Idea of a plastic energy landscape. Illustration of the idea of the plastic energy landscape by analogy with memory foam. For a one-dimensional “foam” stretched in x direction, assume that initially it is flat and described as (see t = t ₀). If the quicksilver drop lands onto the “foam” at position , the landscape is deformed: a dent appears, which is the deepest exactly at , and gets shallower at larger distances from (see t = t ₁). Thus the “foam” will learn about the occurrence of the drop and of its position. For more detail see text.