Plastic Rocks Found on Remote Brazilian Island

Brazilian researchers have discovered rocks formed from plastic debris, as reported in Reuters. The “plasticglomerates” were discovered in the permanently preserved area of Trindade Island, Brazil, located approximately 680 miles from the coast of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, of which it is a part.

The island is a remote refuge for green turtles, and thousands come each year to lay their eggs. The only human inhabitants of Trindade Island are members of the Brazilian navy.

The team of researchers ran chemical tests to find out what kind of plastics are in the rocks, and found that they were formed when fishing nets were dragged by the current and accumulate on the beach, and then melt when the temperature rises and become embedded with the sedimentary granules and other debris on the beach.