“How many years does it take for a plastic bag to disappear?” In other words, “How long does it take for a bag you throw away to break down in nature?”

Bride, answers to these questions Let’s give it.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, it takes about 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in nature.

The reason it takes so long is that most microorganisms cannot eat plastic. This substance undergoes photodegradation due to ultraviolet radiation, which can continue to have negative effects on the environment even if plastic bags break down. They leave microplastics behind.

However, the accuracy of this information is not 100%. This is just a guess. Because plastic bags are fair They have been in our lives since the 1950s. In other words, humanity has not yet been able to observe the real-time decomposition of this material.

Scientists use respirometry tests to predict this period.

In this test, plastic bags are placed in aerated soil full of microbes and then released as the microbes break down the material. The amount of CO2 produced is measured. If the waste is organic material, CO2 levels rise, which gives scientists information about decomposition rates.

However, let’s add that plastic bags do not produce CO2. So they don’t eat the microbes. The bags are only available in They stand firmly on the ground.

When these bags are buried in a landfill, Possible exposure to ultraviolet radiation They are there too, but if this is not the case, they will remain where they are for a very long time.

On the other hand, these plastic bags, which do not disappear in nature, can also have a negative impact on the food chain.

Because animals such as birds and fish move along the food chain They eat accumulated plastic and this has a negative impact on their health.

In summary, plastics, especially plastic bags, have to wait almost thousands of years before they break down in nature. At this point it is important to limit or even eliminate the use of plastic bags altogether switch to fabric bags It would make the most sense.

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