Plastics are not metabolized, since they are polymers.  But low molecular weight chemicals such as bisphenol-A(BPA)from polycarbonate or epoxy resin degradation are considered to have an adverse effect. Since the late 1980s, certain pollutants such as phthalic acid ester, nonylphenol and BPA have been detected in lakes, rivers and oceans.  To clear the new global contamination generated from plastics, water 2.5L and sand 5g were collected in all over the world.  The following sites were investigated from Ullapool (57.893231, latitude, -5.165892 longitudes, UK) to Atlantic City (longitudes : 39.35806, latitude and coast of -74.420443, longitudes, U.S.A.), 33 nations and 400 sites. The following sites were sampled: Glacial Lake Puma (28.567035, latitude, 90.39814 longitudes, Tibet) height of 5100 meters and sea bottom depth of 4000 meters (29.71218333, latitude, 136.31603333, longitudes,). Collected water and sand were extracted with the dichloromethane and were analyzed by SIM-GC/MS (Selected ion, m/z:78,104,105,117,152,154,178,193,196,207,208,213, 228,312).  The existence of the chemicals derived from plastic degradation was confirmed from all sampling sites. The results clearly demonstrate not only the migration of residues of non-reacted raw materials in plastics but as well, the generation of monomer from decomposed plastics such as styrene oligomer and BPA. Most people pay attention to elution of additives from plastics, in which additives are physically mixed with polymers.  But this time, this study suggests that we should pay attention to polymer itself as a new pollution source.

New global contaminations generated from plastics

244th National Meeting (2012)

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