title: Pollutant content in marine debris and characterization by thermal decomposition.
abstract: Marine debris (MDs) produces a wide variety of negative environmental, economic, safety, health and cultural impacts. Most marine litter has a very low decomposition rate (plastics), leading to a gradual accumulation in the coastal and marine environment. Characterization of the MDs has been done in terms of their pollutant content: PAHs, ClBzs, ClPhs, BrPhs, PCDD/Fs and PCBs. The results show that MDs is not a very contaminated waste. Also, thermal decomposition of MDs materials has been studied in a thermobalance at different atmospheres and heating rates. Below 400-500K, the atmosphere does not affect the thermal degradation of the mentioned waste. However, at temperatures between 500 and 800K the presence of oxygen accelerates the decomposition. Also, a kinetic model is proposed for the combustion of the MDs, and the decomposition is compared with that of their main constituents, i.e., polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), nylon and polyethylene-terephthalate (PET).
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Alicante, P.O. Box 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain. Electronic address: maria.iniguez@ua.es.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Iñiguez
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Alicante, P.O. Box 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Conesa
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Alicante, P.O. Box 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fullana
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere; D006358:Hot Temperature; D010969:Plastics; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014866:Waste Products; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014866:Waste Products; D014873:Water Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Combustion; Decomposition; Kinetic; Marine debris; Pollutants