Degradation Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie

Types of Degradation Biodegradation Photo degradation Thermal degradation Hydrolysis Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie

What is biodegradation? Biodegradation is when items (including natural items and man-made products) decompose or ‘breakdown’ very slowly into very small parts by natural processes (bacteria, fungi, or other biological means). bio·deg·ra·da·tion \noun bio·de·grad·abil·i·ty / noun bio·de·grade / verb bio·de·grad·able / adjective The word biodegradable is often associated with environmentally friendly products that are capable of decomposing back into natural elements (e.g. the earth). For example we often use the terms “biodegradable” and “non – biodegradable” to describe items that we use. This means it will breakdown faster – and be less harmful on the environment. However, as we often producing products that will withstand the environment conditions and last longer: Plastic bags, synthetics, plastic bottles, tin cans are just a few things that make our lives easier. But what we forget is that these advanced products do not break down naturally. However, a lot of items that breakdown, take a very long time. Scientists are now finding that even when a lot of these items have broken down into tiny tiny particles, they can still have a harmful effect on the environment and our health. Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie

Other types of degradation Photo degradation: action of sunlight in outdoor exposure. Thermal degradation: action of high temperatures (usually not environmental). Hydrolysis: reaction with water. Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie

Processed (not natural) Materials on the Shore Natural Processed (not natural) Natural: Sand, Shells, Seaweed, Water Processed (not natural): Cigarette butt, Plastic Bottle, Tin can Seaweed Sand shells Plastic Bottle Tin Can Water Cigarette Butt Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie

Can you guess how long the following items take to degrade Can you guess how long the following items take to degrade? Try to match the material with the correct length of time. Paper Towels Styrofoam Fishing Line Plastic bag Tin Can Plastic Bottle lids Cigarette butt Apple Aluminium Can Disposal nappy 450 years Unknown, just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces 150-200 years 50-100 years 2-4 weeks 1-5 years 600 years 10-20 years 1-2 months 400 years Items typically found on the beach Approximate time for compounds to biodegrade in a marine environment Paper towels 2-4 weeks Newspaper 6 weeks Corrugated box 2 months Apple 1-2 months Banana peel 2-5 weeks Cotton Cloth 5 months Cigarette butt 1-5 years Plywood (e.g. for building) 1-3 years Waxed carton (e.g. milk cartons) 5 years Plastic bags 10-20 years Nylon fabric (e.g. clothing) 30-40 years Leather 50 years Rubber 50-80 years Tin cans (e.g. tinned food) 50-100 years Aluminium cans (e.g. drink cans) 150 -200 years Soft plastic (e.g. drink bottles) 100 years Hard plastic (e.g. bottle caps / lids) 400 years Disposable nappy 450 years Monofilament Fishing Line 600 years Glass Thousands of years Styrofoam While many things eventually break down after a number of years, Styrofoam is one of the few things that does not biodegrade. Tinfoil Tinfoil also does not biodegrade Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie

Websites for extra exploration Images on Degradation: search for images using the phase “How long does it take to degrade” for a selection of info graphics. “Ocean Today” produced by NOAA in America. This site has a selection of videos in the section on “Fix our Ocean”. “Two minutes on Oceans with Tim Toomey” produced by the United Nations Education Programme. Search “Marlisco marine litter video” on Vimeo for an excellent animation on the marine litter and its impact on the environment. Because a lot of these items take a very long time to degrade, we are filling up our landfills at an extremely fast rate. Discuss with the children: What do you think we could do to reduce the use of materials that take a long time to … and to stop them finding their way onto our shorelines and into our ocean? Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie

Websites highlighting how we can help reduce micro beads Micro beads are tiny pieces of plastic that are added to products such as shampoo and toothpaste. There are now a number of campaigns trying to stop this practice. They include: Clean coasts Beat the Microbead Ireland Beat the Microbead International Lets Ban the Bead- the Story of Stuff (Use these phases on your internet search to find more information). Explorers Education Programme: www.explorers.ie