Ocean Contamination Generated from Plastics

K. Saido, 1.6 - Ocean Contamination Generated from Plastics, In 
Comprehensive Water Quality and Purification, edited by Satinder Ahuja, 
Elsevier, Waltham, 2014, Pages 86-97, ISBN 9780123821836, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-382182-9.00005-0.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123821829000050)
Abstract: For clarification of causes leading to new global chemical 
contamination from plastics, beach sand and water taken from sites 
around the world were extracted with dichloromethane and analyzed by 
selected ion monitoring-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry 
(SIM-GC/MS). All samples were found to contain the styrene oligomer (SO) 
(in this study, SO is considered to be a mixture of styrene monomer 
(SM), )1styrene dimer (SD1), SD2, and styrene trimer (ST)), a mixture 
consisting of phenylethylene (SM), 2,4-diphenyl-1-butene (SD), and 
2,4,6-triphenyl-1-hexene (ST). New global chemical contamination 
products were clearly shown to be derived from polystyrene (PS) 
decomposition and/or elution in the ocean, as well as from marine debris 
plastics whose presence may persist well into the future.
Keywords: Adverse effects; Bisphenol A; Degradation; Elution; Marine 
debris plastics; Nonylphenol; Phthalate; Styrene oligomer; Toxicity

Ocean Contamination Generated from Plastics