Brazilian researchers found a worrying phenomenon in Espírito Santo: rocks identical to natural ones, but made of plastic.
The stones are the result of sea pollution. You are in Parcel das Tartarugas on Trindade Island, the largest region of green turtle nests and sea snail reefs in Brazil.
“We have identified four types of plastic waste that differ in composition and appearance.” said in a statement Fernanda Avelar Santos, PhD student in the Graduate Program in Geology at the UFPR (Federal University of Paraná).
According to Santos, plastics cover volcanic rock, sediments of gravel and sand. The results are detailed in a Article published in a scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin In September.
The discovery came during geological mapping on the island, back in 2019. After laboratory analysis, researchers realized that the “plastic rocks” have been there for a maximum of 20 years. Among them there are various forms of rubble.
The most common plastics
A recurring material in stones is plastistone, a material that “mimics” Igneous rocks, but has predominantly plastic composition. This element covered volcanic rocks that record the last episode of active volcanism in Brazil.
There are also plastiglomerates that look like sedimentary rockand pyroclastics first found off the coast of England.
Rock formation from marine pollution happens quickly – but with long-lasting effects. When non-natural materials such as plastics occur in nature, they take part in sedimentary processes and accumulate in pre-existing rock, where they remain indefinitely.
In the case of Trindade Island, in Espírito Santo, the plastic from burning garbage in the past would have melted and “stuck” to the rocks over the years, giving rise to the new type of rocks.
therefore, the Study indicates that human actions are indeed capable of influencing the geological formation of the planet. “Human activity today is so ubiquitous that it is changing the planet faster than natural processes,” emphasized Santos.
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