PLASTICS IN THE OCEANS - Plastics and Environmental Sustainability - page 446

Table 10.2 Summary of Impacts on Marine Animals

Source: Data compiled from Mudgal et al. (2011).
Species
worldwide

Species with
reports of
entanglement (%)

Species with
reports of
ingestion (%)

Sea turtles 7 86 86

Sea birds 312 51 36

Penguins 16 38 6

Albatross,
petrels,
shearwater

99 10 63

Shorebirds 122 18 33

Marine
mammals

115 28 23

Baleen whales 10 60 20

Toothed
whales

65 8 32

Fur seals and
Sea lions

14 79 7

True seals 19 42 5

10.2 WEATHERING OF PLASTICS IN THE OCEAN
ENVIRONMENT

Of the different mechanisms of degradation discussed in Chapter 6 ,
photo-initiated oxidation (solar-UV facilitated oxidation) plays a dominant
role in degrading plastics in the marine environment (Andrady, 2011).
Weathering of products such as netting, bands, or six-pack rings reduces
damage to marine animals entangled in them as the degradation and
weakening reduces the likelihood of distress in entanglement. It is also an
important phenomenon because weathering likely generates microplastics
from larger fragments of plastic waste and the presence of these in oceans
affectsawiderangeofsmallermarineinvertebrates.Theratesofweathering
degradation of plastics obtained in different zones within the marine