The DOI matches its Crossref record; 42 of the 44 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 9 of the 63 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters
Open accessAbstract
Degradation of bio-based (polylactic acid [PLA] cups, Mater-Bi® [MB] bags) and biodegradable plastics (biodegradable extruded polystyrene [bioPS] plates, biodegradable high density polyethylene [bioHDPE] bags) were compared to conventional plastics (recycled polyethylene terephthalate [rPET] cups, HDPE bags, extruded PS plates) in a salt marsh over a 32-week period. Following 4 weeks, biofilm developed on all plastics, resulting in an increased weight and concomitant decrease in UV transmission for most plastics. All plastics produced microplastic particles beginning at 4 weeks, with single-use bags producing the most microplastics over the 32-week period. At 32 weeks, SEM revealed microcracks and delamination for all plastics except PLA and MB, the latter of which degraded through embrittlement. IR spectral analysis indicated degradation for all plastics except PLA. Results suggest that degradation rates of bio-based and biodegradable plastics vary widely, with MB bags and bioPS plates demonstrating the greatest degradation, while PLA cups demonstrated the least degradation.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
77 Own result · 39 No full text of the sources · 24 Own interpretation · 7 Own method · 6 Supported · 6 Sources not found · 5 No basis given · 3 Partly supported · 2 Not checked yet · accuracy not yet measured
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“However, these assumptions are largely based on assessments performed under optimal conditions in laboratory settings or in industrial composting facilities (Song et al., 2009).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Song et al., 2009 source
Section 4 (page unavailable) describes compostability standards based on tests at specified temperatures, including 58°C for industrial composting, and contrasts them with less optimized home-composting conditions. It also reports that some materials certified for industrial composting do not biodegrade sufficiently in home composters, supporting the point that conclusions drawn from controlled tests or industrial conditions may not hold in practice. (LLM, conf=0.85)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Studies have indicated that the degradation of PET in the marine environment is relatively slow.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Ioakeimidis et al. (2016) source
The Discussion reports that PET bottle surfaces remained robust for more than fifteen years in the environment. The Abstract likewise says the sampled PET bottles seemed to remain robust for approximately fifteen years, supporting the claim that marine PET degradation is relatively slow. (LLM, conf=0.93)
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“At 32 weeks, SEM revealed microcracks and delamination for all plastics except PLA and MB, the latter of which degraded through embrittlement.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“All plastics produced microplastic particles beginning at 4 weeks, with single-use bags producing the most microplastics over the 32-week period.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“All plastics produced microplastic particles beginning at 4 weeks, with single-use bags producing the most microplastics over the 32-week period.”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“The production of microplastic particles from field-collected strips in the laboratory fragmentation test was first evident following 4 weeks of exposure for all plastic types and increased throughout the experiment (Fig. 4C).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“At 32 weeks, SEM revealed microcracks and delamination for all plastics except PLA and MB, the latter of which degraded through embrittlement.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“IR spectral analysis indicated degradation for all plastics except PLA.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Following 4 weeks, biofilm developed on all plastics, resulting in an increased weight and concomitant decrease in UV transmission for most plastics.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For UV-B, PLA allowed for the highest transmission.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The weight of HDPE and bioHDPE strips, both of which were from single use plastic bags, significantly decreased between 16 and 32 weeks.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Probably not a substantial claim. 62
- It may state two separate claims as one. 42
- The quote only partly states this claim. 1
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Another type of eco-friendly plastic are the biodegradable plastics, which can be composed of either biomass-based or oil-based polymers, and are engineered to decompose more quickly than conventional plastics primarily through the enzymatic action of microorganisms (Song et al., 2009).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Song et al., 2009 source
Section 2 (page unavailable) classifies biodegradable plastics as either bio-based or petrochemical-based and defines their decomposition as occurring predominantly through microbial enzymatic action. The Abstract (page unavailable) describes conventional oil-based packaging polymers as virtually all non-biodegradable, supporting the comparison in the claim. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“They found that none of the bags could be relied upon to substantially deteriorate more than conventional HDPE plastic bags in all three environments; however, it is of interest that the compostable bag completely disappeared in seawater after only 3 months (Napper and Thompson, 2019).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Napper and Thompson, 2019 source
Split into 2 atoms — 2 confirmed, 0 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Ingested microplastic particles can increase gut residency time among invertebrates, producing fatal injuries associated with gut blockage, as well as getting caught in respiratory structures (Watts et al., 2014; Gray and Weinstein, 2017; Leads et al., 2019).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Watts et al., 2014 source
- Partly supportedcites Gray and Weinstein, 2017 sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Introduction reports longer gut residence times in lugworms, and the Acute toxicity results report shrimp deaths with particles present in the gut, gills, or both. The Discussion describes fatal gut blockage as a possible mechanism, not a demonstrated cause of those deaths. The paper also documents particles in gills, supporting the respiratory-structure part of the claim. (LLM, conf=0.84)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Leads et al., 2019 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“In coastal waters, the degradation of plastic litter is believed to be a major source of microplastics (Gray et al., 2018), and their presence has received much attention due to their potential to adversely impact a variety of organisms (reviewed by Avio et al., 2017).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites Gray et al., 2018 sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Introduction (page unavailable) says microplastics can result from the degradation of large plastic debris. The Discussion (page unavailable) suggests that fragmentation of macroplastic litter produced microplastics found in Charleston Harbor. It does not establish that degradation is a major source across coastal waters generally. (LLM, conf=0.84)
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Tosin et al. (2012) found that Mater-Bi® degraded 68.9% following 236 days when exposed to seawater in the laboratory, but when buried in wet sand in aquaria, total degradation was achieved within 9 months.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites Tosin et al. (2012) sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Test Method C reports 68.9% biodegradation after 236 days, but the material was at a sediment–seawater interface, not exposed to seawater alone. The Abstract reports total disintegration in less than nine months when Mater-Bi was buried in wet sand; the Discussion clarifies that this was visual disintegration, not a demonstration of complete biodegradation. The indexed passages provide section labels but no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.91)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“The relatively slow degradation of PLA has previously been observed in both home compost, where negligible degradation was observed after 180 days (<5% mass loss) (Song et al., 2009)”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Song et al., 2009 source
Section 4 reports that PLA was among the slow degraders in a simulated home-composting experiment: the group had negligible mass loss below 5%, and this remained true at 180 days. The same section reports no visual evidence of microbial breakdown of PLA after 180 days. (LLM, conf=0.95)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“For example, Ioakeimidis et al. (2016) found PET remains structurally intact in the submarine environment for approximately fifteen years with decreases in native functional groups occurring thereafter.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Ioakeimidis et al. (2016) source
Split into 2 atoms — 2 confirmed, 0 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Following one week of deployment, biofilm was observed covering the upper side of all strips, and marsh periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata) were observed grazing on strips of all plastic types.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Periwinkle trails were observed on 41.7% of the collected strips throughout the study, although this ranged from 0 to 100% depending on the plastic type and collection time (Fig. 2 ).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Following one week of deployment, biofilm was observed covering the upper side of all strips, and marsh periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata) were observed grazing on strips of all plastic types.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Of note, a ~ 1500% increase in peak area was observed for bioPS, while this peak increased by only ~200% for PS.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Similar to the MB strips, the HDPE strips increasingly shriveled over time becoming more brittle, and by 32 weeks, most had visibly fragmented.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Additionally, similar to other samples, a large C—O peak (1037 cm−1) emerged in the spectra.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The decreases in weight between these two exposure periods were 69.7% and 41.1% for HDPE and bioHDPE, respectively.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For HDPE, surface area decreased 34.1% and 66.5% at 16 and 32 weeks, respectively.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The only exception was the control bioPS strips which exhibited a sponge-like surface with numerous cavities and pores (Fig. 7D).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The surface of the 32-week rPET strips exhibited areas where extensive pitting and surface delamination were evident; however, unlike the HDPE and PS strips, there were no microcracks or large holes on the surface”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The production of microplastic particles from field-collected strips in the laboratory fragmentation test was first evident following 4 weeks of exposure for all plastic types and increased throughout the experiment (Fig. 4C).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“which began disintegrating by 16 weeks and none remained attached to the experimental apparatus at 32 weeks.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Relative to the other single use bags, the MB bags were >60% thicker, but had similar levels of UV transmittance.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“A repeated measures ANOVA comparing surface area produced a significant model for exposure time (p < 0.0001) but not for plastic type (p = 0.44).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“While strong C—H peaks (2913, 2845, 1460 cm−1) were present initially in the control sample, the intensity of these peaks decreased by 16 weeks.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The quote only partly states this claim.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Relative to control strips, MB strips at 8 and 16 weeks had decreased 52.6% and 56.3%.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For PS and bioPS samples, the expected IR peaks for aromatic groups (~3000 and 1450 cm−1) were observed and remained mostly unchanged, except for a slight decrease in intensity throughout the 32-week exposure period.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The surface of the 32-week PLA and the 16-week MB strips exhibited limited areas of minor degradation, and there was no evidence of microcracks, pitting, or surface delamination”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“SEM examination of the surface of the control strips revealed that, in general, the plastics chosen for this study had a largely featureless and smooth surface (Fig. 7A–G).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For the rPET sample, no new peaks appeared in the IR spectra over the course of environmental exposure, but transmittance across all peaks decreased, indicating degradation.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
hedgeddirectSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The least amount of degradation in this study was exhibited by the strips from the PLA cups, which following 32 weeks of exposure, only exhibited limited surface degradation and almost no changes to spectra produced by FT-IR.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Collectively, these reactions result in a decrease in the molecular weight of the polymers and an increase in the presence of oxygen-rich functional groups.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Andrady, 2011 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“For example, polyethylene films and thermoplastic materials were found to degrade at slower rates while submerged in seawater compared to those in the air, probably as a result of lower sunlight exposure, lower temperatures, and lower oxygen levels (Pegram and Andrady, 1989; Andrady et al., 1993).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“By contrast, most eco-friendly plastics have physical and chemical properties to either enhance biodegradation or, as in the case of PLA, facilitate degradation under commercial composting conditions.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Other degradative mechanisms for oil-based plastics, such as hydrolysis and biodegradation, occur at rates several orders of magnitude slower than oxidative mechanisms (Andrady, 2011).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Andrady, 2011 source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“For most oil-based plastics, degradation is the result of oxidative reactions, beginning with photooxidation from UV radiation exposure followed by temperature-dependent thermooxidative reactions (Andrady, 2011).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Andrady, 2011 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Surface biofouling, such as that associated with biofilm, may reduce the rate of plastic degradation by reducing the amount of UV radiation reaching the surface of the plastic, while simultaneously increasing the density of the object causing it to sink (Kershaw et al., 2011).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Kershaw et al., 2011
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Although it is generally assumed that bio-based and biodegradable plastics will degrade faster than oil-based plastics, only a limited number of studies have been conducted, and their results have been mixed.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“These results corroborate those of O'Brine and Thompson (2010), who found that a compostable bag had 100% surface area loss following 24 weeks of exposure in seawater.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites O'Brine and Thompson, 2010 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Mechanical forces, such as those associated with turbulence and abrasion could increase the susceptibility of plastics to fragmentation (Pegram and Andrady, 1989; Browne et al., 2010).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Degradation for all types of plastics, whether considered eco-friendly or not, is ultimately the result of chemical changes in the structure of the material reducing its molecular weight, invariably weakening its structural integrity (reviewed by Singh and Sharma, 2008).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Singh and Sharma, 2008 source
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Because plastic degradation is dependent upon factors such as UV radiation, oxygen, and temperature, the rate at which any plastic degrades will largely be dependent upon environmental conditions.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“In addition, microplastic ingestion could lead to reduced energetics, adversely impacting both growth and fitness (reviewed by Auta et al., 2017).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Auta et al., 2017 source
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Salt marshes and their associated tidal creeks serve as the hydrographic link between anthropogenic activities in the upland portion of the watershed and the adjacent estuary (Holland et al., 2004), and as such, higher levels of plastic debris have been associated with salt marshes occurring near population centers (Viehman et al., 2011).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Holland et al., 2004 source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“For example, the addition of grapefruit seed extract into a composite plastic film increased the moisture content from 16.43 to 35.75% (Kanmani and Rhim, 2014).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Kanmani and Rhim, 2014 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Increased consumer demand for bio-based and biodegradable plastics is predicated, in part, upon the assumption that they pose less of a threat to the environment because of their faster degradation rates.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“Degradation-induced embrittlement as a result of linear polymers undergoing random chain scission resulting in a transition of the material from a ductile to a brittle state has been previously described for polyethylene films at temperatures up to 90 °C (Fayolle et al., 2007).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Fayolle et al., 2007 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The authors attribute the increase in moisture content to the hydrophilic character of the extract which may have increased the availability of hydroxyl groups within the plastic polymer to bind to water molecules.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Kanmani and Rhim, 2014 source
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Embrittlement of extensively eroded plastics, especially those made from polyethylene, has been documented on the beaches in Kauai (Hawaii) (Cooper and Corcoran, 2010).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Cooper and Corcoran, 2010 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“MB bags were produced from a bio-based plastic called Mater-Bi®, which is manufactured completely from renewable raw materials of agricultural origin and from non-genetically modified starch (Novamont, 2019).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Novamont, 2019
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“Salt marshes and their associated tidal creeks serve as the hydrographic link between anthropogenic activities in the upland portion of the watershed and the adjacent estuary (Holland et al., 2004), and as such, higher levels of plastic debris have been associated with salt marshes occurring near population centers (Viehman et al., 2011).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Viehman et al., 2011 source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Previous studies have shown that the addition of plant material to synthetic plastics during the manufacturing process can dramatically alter the physical properties of a plastic (reviewed by Mir et al., 2018).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Mir et al., 2018 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“In subtidal conditions (10 m depth) in the Clyde Sea (Scotland), rope made from polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon exhibited a reduction of weight averaging between 0.39% and 1.02% per month, presumably due to the loss of material in the form of microplastics (Welden and Cowie, 2017).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Welden and Cowie, 2017 source
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Andrady (2011) has also suggested that embrittlement is a common pathway by which extensively degraded plastics emit microplastic particles.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Andrady (2011) source
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The number of strips available for each plastic type at 32 weeks was as follows: HDPE n = 6, PS n = 4, rPET n = 7, bioPS n = 6, bioHDPE n = 6, PLA n = 7, MB n = 0.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“A number of measures were taken to reduce microplastic contamination for the laboratory fragmentation test. For example, stainless steel sieves and glass jars were used throughout the procedure. In addition, white cotton laboratory coats and nitrile gloves were worn in the laboratory when processing samples.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Materials and methods
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“In Charleston Harbor, SC (USA), Wertz (2015) estimated that there were 6.9 metric tonnes of plastic debris in the salt marshes surrounding the harbor.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Wertz, 2015
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Laboratory procedural blanks (n = 16) contained an average of 2.1 ± 2.4 microplastic particles/blank. Reported data were not blank-corrected.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Materials and methods
plainn = 16- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“For example, Müller et al. (2012) found negligible degradation (4.5% mass loss) of Mater-Bi® bags in seawater following 49 days, and only 50% degradation following 389 days.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Müller et al. (2012) source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Percent UV/Visible light transmission data were arcsine square root transformed, surface area was log10 transformed, and weight and particle abundance were log10 (x + 1) transformed to meet the assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variance.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Materials and methods
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Although plastic debris can be found in all habitats associated with estuaries, the highest abundances can be found in areas associated with natural debris in salt marshes known as tidal wrack (Viehman et al., 2011).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Viehman et al., 2011 source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Salt marshes are physically dynamic intertidal habitats, characterized by cyclical fluctuations in dissolved oxygen, UV radiation, temperature, and salinity largely driven by diurnal tides having a 1.5–3.0 m range (Wenner et al., 1998).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Wenner et al., 1998
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Of the 203 plastic strips initially deployed, 183 were successfully collected. The loss of 20 strips resulted in a reduction in the number of strips available for collection at 32 weeks.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Likewise, Torres et al. (2000) found that recycled PET was more brittle than virgin PET and attributed it to the presence of contaminants and residual moisture associated with the recycling melt process.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Torres et al. (2000) source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“In the intertidal areas of Charleston Harbor, Wertz (2015) estimated that there were nearly 22,000 single use grocery bags weighing close to 1.1 metric tonnes, representing 15.7% of the total plastic debris.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Wertz (2015)
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“the evidence provided here suggests that this additive may have increased the moisture content of the plastic thereby preventing shrinkage, while concurrently not necessarily imparting any enhanced degradability to the material over the course of this 32-week study.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Also contributing to the higher rate of degradation of the bioPS strips in this study was their darker color (wheat) relative to that of the PS strips (white), which may have produced higher temperatures at their surface.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The challenge in making PS eco-friendlier has been the decreased responsiveness that virgin PS has to degradation mediated by UV radiation due to the presence of phenyl rings in its repeating units (Bandyopadhyay and Basak, 2007).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Bandyopadhyay and Basak, 2007 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The role of photo-oxidation in the degradation of plastics has been previously noted in a study by Biber et al. (2019), who found that the deterioration of polyethylene, PET, PS, and Biothene® was faster in direct sunlight compared to shade, and in air compared to water.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Biber et al. (2019) source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It should also be noted that although we did not confirm that the microplastic particles generated in the fragmentation test matched the plastic composition of the strips in this study”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Plastic bags account for a large proportion of plastic debris in coastal regions.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Ocean Conservancy, 2019
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Wertz (2015)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
In the paper
“and in soil burial tests, where no degradation was observed after 6 weeks (Ohkita and Lee, 2006).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Ohkita and Lee, 2006 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“For example, laboratory studies have demonstrated that the addition of ZnO to PS under UV radiation exposure resulted in a net weight loss of 16% in only 2 h, and with the addition of the photoreactive dye, Eosin Y, further increased weight loss by 18% (Bandyopadhyay and Basak, 2007).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Bandyopadhyay and Basak, 2007 source
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“According to the manufacturer for the bioPS plates, these single use plates are manufactured using green2technology™ to ensure maximum recycled content, are produced with CO2 rather than pentane, and have an active organic catalyst added to the polymer during manufacturing to accelerate the degradation rate (D&W Fine Pack, 2016).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites D&W Fine Pack, 2016
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“evidence from the literature suggests that recycled PET may degrade faster than virgin PET.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Increased moisture content of plastic films has also been noted following the addition of betel leaf extract (Nouri and Nafchi, 2014).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Nouri and Nafchi, 2014 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“However, PLA can be degraded relatively quickly in an industrial composter where it is hydrolyzed into smaller molecules after 45–60 days at 50–60 °C (Tokiwa and Calabia, 2006).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Tokiwa and Calabia, 2006 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These first few weeks of exposure were marked by the least amount of biofilm, and consequently, the greatest amount of UV transmittance, which would have facilitated photo-oxidation reactions.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The relative weight increase of the bioPS strips may have been the result of an increased water content associated with the addition of this organic catalyst, as happens with additives derived from plants (as described above).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The addition of compounds that act as photo-catalysts by transferring absorbed energy from UV radiation to different bonds in the PS polymer matrix have been found to be effective in enhancing degradation (Bandyopadhyay and Basak, 2007).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Bandyopadhyay and Basak, 2007 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Although one of the limitations of the present study is that we did not directly compare recycled and virgin PET strips”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“These results corroborate those of an earlier study by Pegram and Andrady (1989), who found little evidence of weathering of polyethylene samples floating in seawater over an 8-week period, whereas those exposed to air nearly embrittled over the same period.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Pegram and Andrady (1989) source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Functionally, moisture can also influence polymer degradation by providing water for the growth and multiplication of microbes, thus accelerating polymer degradation through microbial action (Ho et al., 1999).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Ho et al., 1999
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
In the paper
“The Ocean Conservancy reported that single use bags were the seventh most common type of debris collected during their annual International Coastal Cleanup in 2018 (Ocean Conservancy, 2019).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Ocean Conservancy, 2019
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
In the paper
“They have also been found to lower the apparent activation reaction for decomposition reactions (Garforth et al., 1997).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Garforth et al., 1997 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Oromiehie and Mamizadeh (2004) reported that the recycling process for PET results in a decrease in average molecular weight and mechanical properties of the end-product due to the hydrolytic chain excision and thermomechanical degradation that occurs during processing.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Oromiehie and Mamizadeh (2004) source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“The addition of acid catalysts, such as zeolites, has also been reported in the literature for use in transforming polymers into hydrocarbons by favoring hydrogen transfer reactions (Singh and Sharma, 2008).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Singh and Sharma, 2008 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Considerable research has been performed on enhancing the degradation of PS through the addition of catalysts (reviewed by Singh and Sharma, 2008).”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Singh and Sharma, 2008 source
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper relies on this without support.
Particle production measured in the laboratory fragmentation test reflects microplastic generation under environmental salt marsh conditions.
“To determine fragmentation, plastic strips (prior to being cleaned of biofilm) were subject to a laboratory fragmentation test.”
“The production of microplastic particles from field-collected strips in the laboratory fragmentation test was first evident following 4 weeks of exposure for all plastic types and increased throughout the experiment (Fig. 4C).”
The paper relies on this without support.
The manufacturer-reported compositions and degradation properties of the plastic products are accurate.
“According to the manufacturer, these single use plates are manufactured using green2technology™ to ensure maximum recycled content, are produced with CO2 rather than pentane, and have an active organic catalyst added to the polymer during manufacturing to accelerate the degradation rate (D&W Fine Pack, 2016).”
“Green Herc™ biodegradable bags contain an algae-based additive that the manufacturer claims allow them to fully degrade within 1–15 years with 28.4% degradation in the first 105 days (WebstaurantStore, 2019).”
The paper relies on this without support.
The field deployment apparatus and salt marsh site represent typical salt marsh conditions for plastic degradation.
“Plastic strips were field-deployed in an intertidal salt marsh in the Ashley River adjacent to The Citadel campus (32°47′45.44″N, 79°57′50.65″W) using the apparatus previously described in Weinstein et al. (2016) (Fig. 1 ).”
The paper relies on this without support.
The 32-week exposure period is sufficient to characterize degradation differences among the plastic types.
“Plastic strips (n = 7 for each polymer type) were randomly removed from the apparatus and brought back to the laboratory on 22 June 2017, 20 July 2017, 14 September 2017, and 11 January 2018, which represented 4, 8, 16, and 32-week exposure periods, respectively.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Weight changes of strips with biofilm reflect biofilm accretion and plastic degradation rather than other processes.
“In general, the average weight of the strips from all plastic types progressively increased over time as a result of the accretion of biofilm (Fig. 4B).”
The paper relies on this without support.
There is little scientific evidence available to support or refute the idea that bio-based and biodegradable plastics degrade faster than conventional oil-based plastics.
“there is currently little scientific data available to support or refute this notion.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The adverse effects of microplastic ingestion by marine organisms, especially invertebrates, have been documented in many laboratory studies.
“The potential adverse impacts resulting from the ingestion of microplastic particles by marine organisms, especially invertebrates, has been documented in numerous laboratory studies.”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
“At 32 weeks, SEM revealed microcracks and delamination for all plastics except PLA and MB, the latter of which degraded through embrittlement.”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
“The surface of the 32-week rPET strips exhibited areas where extensive pitting and surface delamination were evident; however, unlike the HDPE and PS strips, there were no microcracks or large holes on the surface (Fig. 7L and S).”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Abstract
“At 32 weeks, SEM revealed microcracks and delamination for all plastics except PLA and MB”
§ Degradation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in a salt marsh habitat: Another potential source of microplastics in coastal waters > Results
“The surface of the 32-week rPET strips exhibited areas where extensive pitting and surface delamination were evident; however, unlike the HDPE and PS strips, there were no microcracks or large holes on the surface (Fig. 7L and S).”
Citations
Cites
Microplastics in the marine environment
Andrady, A. L. (2011) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.05.030 · Cited by 8,105 · cited 3×
“Andrady (2011) has also suggested that embrittlement is a common pathway by which extensively degraded plastics emit microplastic particles.”
InfluentialAccumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments
Barnes, D. K. A., Galgani, F., Thompson, R. C., & Barlaz, M. (2009) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0205 · Cited by 6,126
Auta, H. S., Emenike, C. U., & Fauziah, S. H. (2017) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2017.02.013 · Cited by 2,649 · cited 1×
“In addition, microplastic ingestion could lead to reduced energetics, adversely impacting both growth and fitness (reviewed by Auta et al., 2017).”
BackgroundMechanistic implications of plastic degradation
Singh, B., & Sharma, N. (2008) · Polymer Degradation and Stability · doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2007.11.008 · Cited by 1,569 · cited 1×
“The addition of acid catalysts, such as zeolites, has also been reported in the literature for use in transforming polymers into hydrocarbons by favoring hydrogen transfer reactions (Singh and Sharma, 2008).”
Large-scale production, properties and commercial applications of polylactic acid polymers
Lunt, J. (1998) · Polymer Degradation and Stability · doi:10.1016/s0141-3910(97)00148-1 · Cited by 1,366
Plastics and microplastics in the oceans: From emerging pollutants to emerged threat
Avio, C. G., Gorbi, S., & Regoli, F. (2017) · Marine Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.05.012 · Cited by 1,248 · cited 1×
“In coastal waters, the degradation of plastic litter is believed to be a major source of microplastics (Gray et al., 2018), and their presence has received much attention due to their potential to adversely impact a variety of organisms (reviewed by Avio et al., 2017).”
BackgroundSpatial patterns of plastic debris along estuarine shorelines
Browne, M. A., Galloway, T. S., & Thompson, R. C. (2010) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es903784e · Cited by 1,246 · cited 1×
“Embrittlement of extensively eroded plastics, especially those made from polyethylene, has been documented on the beaches in Kauai (Hawaii) (Cooper and Corcoran, 2010).”
BackgroundBiodegradable and compostable alternatives to conventional plastics
Song, J. H., Murphy, R. J., Narayan, R., & Davies, G. B. H. (2009) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0289 · Cited by 971
Biodegradable and Bio‐Based Polymers: Future Prospects of Eco‐Friendly Plastics
Iwata, T. (2015) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · doi:10.1002/anie.201410770 · Cited by 964 · cited 1×
“For example, the addition of grapefruit seed extract into a composite plastic film increased the moisture content from 16.43 to 35.75% (Kanmani and Rhim, 2014).”
BackgroundInfluentialUptake and Retention of Microplastics by the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas
Watts, A. J. R., Lewis, C., Goodhead, R. M., Beckett, S. J., Moger, J., Tyler, C. R., & Galloway, T. S. (2014) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es501090e · Cited by 730 · cited 1×
“Ingested microplastic particles can increase gut residency time among invertebrates, producing fatal injuries associated with gut blockage, as well as getting caught in respiratory structures (Watts et al., 2014; Gray and Weinstein, 2017; Leads et al., 2019).”
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Ho, 1999, Effects of temperature and relative humidity on polylactic acid plastic degradation, J. Environ. Polym. Degrad., 7, 83, 10.1023/A:1021808317416 · DOI
- Wenner, 1998, Assessing short-term variability in dissolved oxygen and other water quality variables in shallow estuarine habitats, vol. 2, 802
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–131 of 131
Teng, Y., Zhang, X., Zhou, W., Duan, Z., Yu, J., Zhang, H., Zhang, A., Fu, J., & Jiang, G. (2025) · Journal of Environmental Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.jes.2025.12.083 · Cited by 2
Degradation of supposedly biodegradable polymers in a real estuarine environment
Moreno, B. B., Cardoso, M. A., Simões, F. R., Veroneze, I. B., Cruz, S. A., & Castro, Í. B. (2026) · Waste Management · doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2026.115365 · Cited by 2
Beyond microplastics: A scoping review of the ecotoxicology of emerging micro-synthetic particles
Gore, B., Leads, R. R., Weinstein, J. E., & Gray, A. (2026) · Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances · doi:10.1016/j.hazadv.2026.101082 · Cited by 2
Self-citationMa, G., Gao, X., Li, Z., Chen, Y., Li, H., Cui, Y., Guo, P., Yang, B., Feng, D., & Zhao, T. (2026) · Food Bioscience · doi:10.1016/j.fbio.2026.108745 · Cited by 2
Li, Y., Zhou, Z., Xu, H., et al. (2026) · Current Research in Toxicology · doi:10.1016/j.crtox.2026.100298 · Cited by 2
“For instance, PLA films showed only superficial degradation after 32 weeks in a marine marsh, with a degradation efficiency far lower than that under ideal laboratory conditions (Weinstein et al.,2020).”
Environmental Disturbances and Restoration of Salt Marshes
Weis, J. S., & Windham‐Myers, L. (2024) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-90798-9.00095-0 · Cited by 4
Deng, W.-K., Zeng, J.-L., Deng, Y.-H., et al. (2024) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143713 · Cited by 2
Taha, Z. T., Gerse, P., Bata, A., et al. (2025) · Progress in Rubber Plastics and Recycling Technology · doi:10.1177/14777606241313078 · Cited by 2
Home Composting - Rules, Conditions, New Solutions
Niekraś, L., Rombel‐Bryzek, A., & Moliszewska, E. B. (2024) · Chemia, Dydaktyka, Ekologia, Metrologia · doi:10.2478/cdem-2024-0007 · Cited by 2
Wenclawiak, J. T., Weinstein, J. E., Higgins, J., Karam, D., & Ertel, B. (2025) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2025.121554 · Cited by 3
Self-citationAmelia, T. S. M., Kee, S. H., Senathirajah, K., Shao, Y. T., Ridzuan, N. A. M., Azmeerizal, A. S., Vigneswari, S., Lakshiminarayanan, R., Ramakrishna, S., & Bhubalan, K. (2025) · Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances · doi:10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100902 · Cited by 2
Karunarathna, B. S. W., Gajasinghe, G. M. S. T., Diwankara, U. T., Hunupolagama, D., & Chen, X.-M. (2025) · New Zealand Journal of Botany · doi:10.1080/0028825x.2025.2522207 · Cited by 1
“Plastics are polymers that can be either synthetic or bio-based, with the latter being derived from natural compounds such as food waste, vegetable oils, carbohydrates, cellulose, hemicellulose, terpenes, and lignin (Weinstein et al. 2020; Di Bartolo et al. 2021).”
Degradation behavior and microplastic release from disposable gloves in a model environmental system
Pavlovskyi, D., & Vorobyova, V. (2026) · Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration · doi:10.1007/s41207-025-01061-0 · Cited by 1
Zhao, X., Luo, Q., Dai, W., Deng, Y., Yang, N., Zhu, X., Zheng, Y., Li, Y., & Feng, L. (2026) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2026.1718625 · Cited by 1
Oxoplastics, Bioplastics, and their Potential of Microplastics Generation (Case Study: Indonesia)
Alam, F. C. (2023) · Sriwijaya Journal of Environment · doi:10.22135/sje.2022.7.3.167-173 · Cited by 1
Hu, L., He, L., Cai, L., et al. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4524544 · Cited by 1
Zhang, J., Xia, X., Huang, W., et al. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4633220 · Cited by 1
Ertel, B., Weinstein, J. E., & Gray, A. D. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4512771
Self-citationThe plastic pollution problem, definitions, scope and alternatives
Nagtzaam, G., CALSTER, G. V., Kourabas, S., & Karataeva, E. (2023) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781800373556.00008
Investigation on the Use of Microorganisms in the Microbiological Breakdown of Synthetic PolymersPreprint
Diddigi, G., & Ramalingappa, B. (2024) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4725556/v1 · Cited by 1
Future trends that can be used for MP removals
Zomuansangi, R., Deka, P., Singh, A., Kar, J., Vanlallawmzuali, & Lalbiaktluangi, C. (2024) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-29804-2.00014-7
Krstulović, I. (2026) · Science and Engineering Ethics · doi:10.1007/s11948-026-00585-0
“Some of the more nuanced examples of today are volatile methyl-siloxanes presumed to be emitted by silicone bakeware during use (Fromme et al., 2019), or microplastics released into the soil by biodegradable packaging (Weinstein et al., 2020).”
Salpa: Desenvolvimento de uma boia controlada remotamente para captura de microplásticos
Dini, R. P., Kniphoff, V., & Rangel, J. V. K. (2025) · doi:10.5753/latinoware.2025.15243
Kteeba, S. M., Krueger, S. J., & Guo, L. (2026) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.6447970
Jia, T., Nie, P., Wang, Y., & Xu, H. (2026) · Chemico-Biological Interactions · doi:10.1016/j.cbi.2026.112093
Milne, M. H., & Rochman, C. M. (2026) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.5c18940
Courtene‐Jones, W., Cole, M., Coppock, R., Fullarton, A., Scott, H. D. L., Lindeque, P. K., & Thompson, R. C. (2026) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2026.128491
Degradation Behaviors of Microplastics
Macuvele, D. L. P., Fagundes, A. P., Padoin, N., Riella, H. G., & Soares, C. (2026) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781119906612.ch05
Al‐Khusaibi, M., Al‐Khalili, M., Al-Habsi, N. A., Al-Attabi, Z., & Rahman, M. S. (2026) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-33360-6.00038-0
Complex Degradation of PBAT and PLA in Estuarine and Coastal Waters
Read, T., Chan, C. M., Chaléat, C. M., Laycock, B. G., Lant, P. A., & Pratt, S. (2026) · ACS ES&T Water · doi:10.1021/acsestwater.6c00672
Galati, M., Marco, G. D., Dara, M., Pusata, G. L., Parisi, M. G., Cammarata, M., Maisano, M. S., & Cappello, T. (2026) · Journal of Xenobiotics · doi:10.3390/jox16050176
“In fact, the mechanisms underlying the degradation and subsequent mineralization under natural conditions require a lot of time and specific chemical–physical conditions and microorganisms capable of producing enzymes, such as proteinase K, are capable of degrading the compound [69].”
Metadata
- Authors
- Weinstein, J. E., Dekle, J. L., Leads, R. R., & Hunter, R. A.
- Affiliations
- Citadel (US)
- College of Charleston (US)
- The College of New Jersey (US)
- Corresponding author
- Weinstein, John E.
- Venue
- Marine Pollution Bulletin
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-11
- Volume
- 160
- Pages
- 111518
- ISSN
- 0025-326X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7428430
- OpenAlex
- W3049064038
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 3.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Marine Pollution Bulletin (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer Science and PVC
- Keywords
- biodegradable plastics, bio-based plastics, plastic degradation, microplastics, salt marshes, polylactic acid, Mater-Bi, plastic bags, single-use plastics, biofilm, UV degradation, coastal waters, plastic pollution
- MeSH terms
- Microplastics, Environmental Monitoring, Plastics, Polystyrenes, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Ecosystem, Polyethylene, Wetlands, Biodegradable Plastics
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.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-09-28, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-09-28 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
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
