As any parent who has ever walk through their theatre in bare foot have it off , LEGO bricks are among the most resilient objects on the satellite . Able to defy age of manipulation and abuse , the sets remain intact even when chick heads , action figure tree branch , and electronic games fall by the roadside .
If you need further confirmation on their durability , science is here to help . Newresearchfrom the University of Plymouth in the UK published in the journalEnvironmental Pollutiondemonstrates that the brick couldsurvivein some class for as foresightful as 1300 year in the sea . Not even constant exposure to saltwater can cease them .
This acoustic projection was determined by researchers collect LEGO brick that had washed ashore in Southwest England . They compared the people of these find bricks to similar LEGOs taken from storage . The 50 pieces , which are made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ( Bachelor of Arts ) plastic , were retrieved from outdoor saltwater exposure to be washed , weighed , and valuate . Their approximate age was guess by using an 10 - ray fluorescence mass spectrometer to see which chemical elements were missing . A rate of deterioration was made based on their condition relative to the stored brick .
The result ? LEGO bricks could have on to some semblance of shape for anywhere between 100 to 1300 old age . While not necessarily usable — some of the pieces decayed into blobs of plastic — research worker were able to present that microplastics can brave out in the surround for indefinite periods .
“ The pieces we tested had smoothed and discolored , with some of the structures having fractured and fragmentize , suggest that as well as composition continue intact they might also break down into microplastics , ” Andrew Turner , the lead author and associate prof of environmental sciences at the University of Plymouth , said in a assertion . “ It once again accentuate the importance of citizenry disposing of used items properly to secure they do not nonplus likely problems for the environs . ”
[ h / tGeek.com ]
