British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Degradability definition

Definition: Degradability is the rate at which a material degrades or breaks down. For example, plastic is a major issue, lots of things can cause it to degrade. Chemicals for one, even UV light on its own can cause rapid plastic degradation. Heat is another factor, either from the sun or direct heat which can cause plastic to break down quickly. Water may contain pollutants that cause plastic in the water to break down into small particles. Degraded plastic can cause problems as microplastic particles when they move from rivers to the sea where fish may ingest them, and in turn are predated on by bigger fish. The microplastics are then passed on up the food chain and cause more problems the further up they are passed up the food chain, collecting in the bodies of the fish. There are certain bacteria, however, that can feed on plastics breaking them down into more benign materials that are more easily biodegradable.