塑料在海洋中无处不在，这些被游客丢入海洋、或经过家庭废物处理进入海洋的塑料，会长时刻潜伏在海水中。乐高积木这种紧密连接的塑料玩具也不破例，即便在海洋最深处也现已充满着这些废物。
近期，英国普利茅斯大学（University of Plymouth）领导的一项研讨发现，据估计乐高积木可以在海洋中生计 100 到 1300 年。
领导该研讨的环境科学副教授 Andrew Turner 博士说：“乐高积木是历史上最受欢迎的儿童玩具之一，其吸引力之一在于其耐用性。虽然它或许在海洋里数十年都没有显着磨损，可是它的巩固程度仍是令咱们吃惊。”
这项研讨宣告在《环境污染（Environmental Pollution）》杂志上，研讨人员要点研讨了在英格兰西南海岸线上被冲刷的乐高积木。
研讨人员对 50 块从海滩上搜集的由丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯（ABS）制成的风化乐高积木进行清洗后，在实验室中丈量这些积木的质量和螺柱的巨细。然后，运用X射线荧光（XRF）光谱仪确认每个积木块的化学特征，并根据某些元素是不是真的存在的成果，来判别积木块的存活寿数。
研讨人员标明：“经过将这些积木与上世纪七八十年代购买的未风化套装进行比对，研讨人员可以确认它的磨损程度，然后确认这些积木在海洋环境中可以存在多久。”
研讨人员发现，这些乐高积木块现已变色，而且变得润滑，其间一些结构现已决裂和破碎，从乐高积木被水浸泡后的磨损形式可以精确的看出，它们正在分化成微塑料，而微塑料对海洋生物是有害的。
当然，这项研讨并不是在责备乐高，而是想要了解某些类型的塑料能在海洋环境中存活多久。
Andrew Turner 说：“这再次强调了人们妥善处理废旧物品的重要性，以保证它们不会对环境形成潜在的损害。”Andrew Turner 博士此前曾对冲在岸上的海洋废物物品的化学性质进行了广泛的研讨。
从前的研讨标明，塑料水瓶在海洋中分化需求数十年的时刻。可是，因为许多用于制作电子科技类产品和其他消费产品的塑料部件与塑料水瓶比较，其厚度和巩固性更挨近乐高积木，因而 Turner 置疑或许整个海洋中塑料的降解需求数百年的时刻。
2015 年，宣告在 CNET 网站的一篇报导称，乐高将中止出产以石油为质料的塑料积木，并宣告了一项 1.5 亿美元的研讨计划，方针是到 2030 年，寻觅一种可继续的、环保的积木出产资料代替计划。
论文标题：Weathering and persistence of plastic in the marine environment: Lessons from LEGO
论文摘要：
The residence times of plastics in the oceans are unknown, largely because of the durability of the material and the relatively short (decadal) period of time over which plastic products have been manufactured. In this study, classic LEGO bricks constructed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and washed up on beaches of southwest England have been subjected to X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis and the spectra and any other identifiers matched with unweathered blocks stored in collections or sets of known history. Relative to unweathered equivalents, weathered blocks exhibit varying degrees of yellowing, fracturing and fouling, and are of lower mass, average stud height and mechanical strength. These effects are attributed to photo-oxidative degradation and the actions of physical stress and abrasion while exposed to the marine environment. Infrared spectra indicate that the polymer remains largely intact on weathering but with photo-degradation of the polybutadiene phase of ABS, while quantification of XRF spectra reveals that pigments like cadmium sulphoselenide become more heterogeneously distributed in the matrix when in the environment. Using measured mass loss of paired (weathered versus unweathered) equivalents and the age of blocks obtained from storage we estimate residence times of between about 100 and 1300 years for this type and thickness of plastic, with variations reflecting differences in precise additive composition and modes of weathering.
论文链接：
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114299
参考资料：
https:///news/lego-bricks-could-linger-up-to-1300-years-in-the-ocean-scientists-say/
https:///science/article/pii/S0269749119364152?via%3Dihub
