Explore the objects nobody wants
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The decomposition time of abandoned objects in the oceans varies depending on the type of materials that compose them. The physical-chemical properties of the materials, as well as the environmental conditions in which they are found – including immersion depth, water temperature and salinity, exposure to solar radiation, marine currents, and areas of high or low energy intensity – are factors that influence the decomposition time of the objects, making it difficult to calculate with precision. However, through scientific studies, approximated decomposition periods have been estimated, aiming to provide the highest possible accuracy in the presented numbers. These estimates generally range in the order of hundreds of years for most objects.
To learn more about the sources used in these estimates, please see the links below. It is important to mention that, in the case of objects composed of multiple materials, a conservative approach is taken, considering the longest decomposition time.
Source List
Ranking of potential hazards from microplastics polymers in the marine environment - ScienceDirect
Electronic waste and their leachates impact on human health and environment: Global ecological threat and management - ScienceDirect
Degradation Rates of Plastics in the Environment | ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
https://www.geochemicalperspectivesletters.org/article2222/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004313542030991X
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/20/4586
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949881323000069
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2008009117
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