Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Environmental Engineering, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, NO-0806 Oslo, Norway.
Science. 2021 Jul 2;373(6550):61-65. doi: 10.1126/science.abg5433.
Plastic pollution accumulating in an area of the environment is considered "poorly reversible" if natural mineralization processes occurring there are slow and engineered remediation solutions are improbable. Should negative outcomes in these areas arise as a consequence of plastic pollution, they will be practically irreversible. Potential impacts from poorly reversible plastic pollution include changes to carbon and nutrient cycles; habitat changes within soils, sediments, and aquatic ecosystems; co-occurring biological impacts on endangered or keystone species; ecotoxicity; and related societal impacts. The rational response to the global threat posed by accumulating and poorly reversible plastic pollution is to rapidly reduce plastic emissions through reductions in consumption of virgin plastic materials, along with internationally coordinated strategies for waste management.
如果环境中某一区域的自然矿化过程缓慢，且不太可能采用工程修复措施，那么该区域内积累的塑料污染被认为是“难以逆转”的。如果这些区域因塑料污染而产生负面影响，那么这些影响将是难以逆转的。难以逆转的塑料污染可能带来的影响包括碳和营养循环的变化；土壤、沉积物和水生生态系统中的生境变化；濒危或关键物种同时受到的生物影响；生态毒性；以及相关的社会影响。应对积累和难以逆转的塑料污染所构成的全球威胁的合理对策是，通过减少原生塑料材料的消费，以及采取国际协调的废物管理策略，迅速减少塑料排放。
