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Chinese scientists hope to fight ocean pollution by making plastic that breaks down when exposed to seawater

Researchers hope to start producing products that contain chemicals which trigger a chemical reaction when exposed to water as part of efforts to tackle scourge of marine life

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A rubbish-strewn beach in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. Around 10 million tonnes of plastic waste are currently dumped in the sea each year. Photo: AFP

Chinese scientists hope to produce a plastic that dissolves into non-toxic components in seawater in a bid to curb ocean pollution.

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It contains molecules that they say will trigger a chemical reaction when exposed to water. According to Wang Gexia, a chemistry engineer with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this process will help it dissolve into non-toxic particles within as little as 10 days.

Plastics have only been in use for around 70 years and have transformed everything from packing, shopping and clothing. But the most commonly used forms take years to break down fully and there is growing concern about their impact on the environment.

Humans currently dump around 10 million tonnes of plastic waste into the sea every year, according to scientists at the University of Georgia in the US.

The debris is then carried around the globe by the ocean currents, but can prove fatal to dolphins and whales which can choke on the waste.

Fragments have also lodged in the throats and digestive tracts of fish and other forms of marine life, ultimately making their way into the food chain and posing a risk to human health.

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Marine pollution is a serious threat to whales and dolphins and also threatens to contaminate the human food chain. Photo: China Foto Press
Marine pollution is a serious threat to whales and dolphins and also threatens to contaminate the human food chain. Photo: China Foto Press
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