Microplastics breaking down in different areas of the environment

Currently, little is known about when and where larger plastics break down in the environment to form microplastics. A common perception is that most of the fragmentation occurs in the ocean, but pre-aging of plastics on land could play an important role. In addition to understanding the timing of plastic degradation in the environment, scientists are studying the chemical and weathering processes responsible for the breakdown of larger plastics, such as sunlight, temperature, salinity, humidity, freeze/thaw cycles, and abrasion. (Illustration by Natalie Renier, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)