• Plastic photodegradation under simulated marine conditions 

      Delre, Annalisa; Goudriaan, Maaike; Morales, Victor Hernando; Vaksmaa, Annika; Rachel Tintswalo, Ndhlovu; Marianne, Baas; Keijzer, Edwin; de Groot, Tim; Zeghal, Emna; Egger, Matthias; Röckmann, Thomas; Niemann, Helge (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2023-01-12)
      Ocean plastic pollution is a problem of increasing magnitude; yet, the amount of plastic at the sea surface is much lower than expected. Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation can induce photodegradation, but its importance in determining the longevity of floating plastic remains unconstrained. Here, we measured photodegradation rates of different plastic types slightly larger than microplastics (virgin ...
    • The Potential Role of Marine Fungi in Plastic Degradation – A Review 

      Zeghal, Emna; Vaksmaa, Annika; Vielfaure, Hortense; Boekhout, Teun; Niemann, Helge (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-11-29)
      Plastic debris has been accumulating in the marine realm since the start of plastic mass production in the 1950s. Due to the adverse effects on ocean life, the fate of plastics in the marine environment is an increasingly important environmental issue. Microbial degradation, in addition to weathering, has been identified as a potentially relevant breakdown route for marine plastic debris. Although ...