There is less plastic littering the ocean than scientists previously thought, but what is there could persist for a long time, a new study said Monday.
There is less plastic littering the ocean than scientists previously thought, but what is there could persist for a long time, a new study said Monday.
The modeling study estimated that pieces of plastic bigger than 25 millimeters (one inch) make up over 95 percent of plastic floating on the ocean.
While most plastic particles in the ocean are very small, the total mass of these microplastics—defined as less than five millimeters (0.2 inches)—is relatively low.
The preponderance of larger floating pieces suggests that the total amount of plastic in the ocean is “much lower” than previously thought, according to the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Plastic pollution in the ocean has been estimated at more than 25 million metric tons, with a quarter of a million tons floating on the surface.
