The rise of plastics since the mid-20th century, both as a material element of modern life and as a growing environmental pollutant, has been widely described. Their distribution in both the terrestrial and marine realms suggests that they are a key geological indicator of the Anthropocene, as a distinctive stratal component. Most immediately evident in terrestrial deposits, they are clearly becoming widespread in marine sedimentary deposits in both shallow- and deep-water settings. They are abundant and widespread as macroscopic fragments and virtually ubiquitous as microplastic particles; these are dispersed by both physical and biological processes, not least via the food chain and the ‘faecal express’ route from surface to sea floor.
Original Source [2]
Technology Partners: MimirTech
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/geological-cycle-plastics-and-their-use-stratigraphic-indicator-anthropocene
[2] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213305416300029
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/jan-zalasiewicz
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/colin-n-waters
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/juliana-ivar-do-sul-et-al
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/anthropocene
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/plastics
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/fossils
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/waste-disposal
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/sedimentation
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/land-pollution
[12] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/landfill
[13] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/river-pollution
[14] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/marine-pollution
