The DOI matches its Crossref record; 19 of the 19 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Effects of mechanical and chemical processes on the degradation of plastic beach debris on the island of Kauai, Hawaii
Abstract
Plastic debris is accumulating on the beaches of Kauai at an alarming rate, averaging 484 pieces/day in one locality. Particles sampled were analyzed to determine the effects of mechanical and chemical processes on the breakdown of polymers in a subtropical setting. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicates that plastic surfaces contain fractures, horizontal notches, flakes, pits, grooves, and vermiculate textures. The mechanically produced textures provide ideal loci for chemical weathering to occur which further weakens the polymer surface leading to embrittlement. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results show that some particles have highly oxidized surfaces as indicated by intense peaks in the lower wavenumber region of the spectra. Our textural analyses suggest that polyethylene has the potential to degrade more readily than polypropylene. Further evaluation of plastic degradation in the natural environment may lead to a shift away from the production and use of plastic materials with longer residence times.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Embrittlement of extensively eroded plastics, especially those made from polyethylene, has been documented on the beaches in Kauai (Hawaii) (Cooper and Corcoran, 2010).”
From Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters (2020) · cites this paper as Cooper and Corcoran, 2010
In the citing paper
“Land based, mostly coastal sources account for 80% of PMD, which is transported via natural waterways, sewage/drainage systems, wind or human neglect.[48][49][50]”
From The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview (2021) · cites this paper as [48]
In the citing paper
“In the marine environment, plastic fragmentation is induced by mechanical stress, e.g.due to wave action.48,101”
From The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview (2021) · cites this paper as [48]
In the citing paper
“Photooxidation of plastics comprises freeradical reactions and chain scission initiated by (solar) UV radiation.4,14,48,105”
From The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview (2021) · cites this paper as [48]
Citations
Cites
The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review.
Derraik, J. G. B. (2002) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/s0025-326x(02)00220-5 · Cited by 4,042
Biological degradation of plastics: A comprehensive review
Shah, A. A., Hasan, F., Hameed, A., & Ahmed, S. (2008) · Biotechnology Advances · doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2007.12.005 · Cited by 2,765
Synthetic polymers in the marine environment: A rapidly increasing, long-term threat
Moore, C. J. (2008) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2008.07.025 · Cited by 2,239
A new roundness scale for sedimentary particles
Powers, M. (1953) · Journal of Sedimentary Research · doi:10.1306/d4269567-2b26-11d7-8648000102c1865d · Cited by 1,701
A Comparison of Plastic and Plankton in the North Pacific Central Gyre
Moore, C. J., Moore, S., Leecaster, M. K., & Weisberg, S. B. (2001) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/s0025-326x(01)00114-x · Cited by 1,017
Plastics and beaches: A degrading relationship
Corcoran, P. L., Biesinger, M. C., & Grifi, M. D. (2008) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.08.022 · Cited by 683
Self-citationMarine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions
Sheavly, S. B., & Register, K. M. (2007) · Journal of Polymers and the Environment · doi:10.1007/s10924-007-0074-3 · Cited by 552
Quantitative analysis of small-plastic debris on beaches in the Hawaiian archipelago
McDermid, K. J., & McMullen, T. L. (2003) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2003.10.017 · Cited by 323
Plastics in the Marine Environment
Gregory, M. R., & Andrady, A. L. (2003) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/0471721557.ch10 · Cited by 284
Marine debris contamination along undeveloped tropical beaches from northeast Brazil
dos Santos, I. R., Friedrich, A. C., & do Sul, J. A. I. (2008) · Environmental Monitoring and Assessment · doi:10.1007/s10661-008-0175-z · Cited by 238
(2020) · Princeton University Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/j.ctv10crf29.7 · Cited by 172
Andrady, A. (2005) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/0471721557 · Cited by 152
MARINE DEBRIS CONTAMINATION ALONG UNDEVELOPED TROPICAL BEACHES FROM NORTHEAST BRAZIL
Santos (2008) · Cited by 148
Outdoor weathering of selected polymeric materials under marine exposure conditions
Pegram, J. E., & Andrady, A. L. (1989) · Polymer Degradation and Stability · doi:10.1016/0141-3910(89)90112-2 · Cited by 129
Understanding Weather and Climate
Aguado, E., & Burt, J. E. (2001) · Cited by 121
Anticipated Effects of Climate Change on Estuarine and Coastal Fisheries
Kennedy, V. S. (1990) · Fisheries · doi:10.1577/1548-8446(1990)015 · Cited by 120
Marine debris contamination of beaches in St. Lucia and Dominica
Corbin, C. J., & Singh, J. G. (1993) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/0025-326x(93)90575-5 · Cited by 101
Understanding Weather and Climate
Kitchen, D. E. (2023) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781003146636-6 · Cited by 24
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Andrady, A.L., 2005. Plastics in marine environment. A Technical Perspective. In: Proceedings of the Plastic Rivers to Sea Conference. Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Long Beach, California, 2005.
- Hansen, 1990, Draft position statement on plastic debris in marine environments, Fisheries, 15, 16
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Microplastics in the marine environment
Andrady, A. L. (2011) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.05.030 · Cited by 8,105
Hidalgo-Ruz, V., Gutow, L., Thompson, R. C., & Thiel, M. (2012) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es2031505 · Cited by 5,440
Bergmann, M., Gutow, L., & Klages, M. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-16510-3 · Cited by 3,513
Life in the “plastisphere”: microbial communities on plastic marine debris
Zettler, E. R., Mincer, T. J., & Amaral-Zettler, L. A. (2013) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es401288x · Cited by 3,368
The plastic in microplastics: A review
Andrady, A. L. (2017) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.082 · Cited by 2,372
Metadata
- Authors
- Cooper, D. A., & Corcoran, P. L.
- Affiliations
- Western University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Cooper, David A
- ORCID
- Corcoran, Patricia L
- Venue
- Marine Pollution Bulletin
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-05
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 650-654
- ISSN
- 0025-326X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2036462648
- Cited by
- 663
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 36 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 86 · 2023: 82 · 2022: 68 · 2021: 83 · 2020: 63 · 2019: 50 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 8.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Marine Pollution Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer crystallization and properties
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer Science and PVC
- Keywords
- plastic degradation, mechanical weathering, chemical weathering, polyethylene, polypropylene, surface oxidation, beach litter, Kauai
- MeSH terms
- Bathing Beaches, Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Pollutants, Geography, Hawaii, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Plastics, Polypropylenes, Waste Products, Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Ecosystem, Polyethylene
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
