Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

The consequence that is plastiglomerate

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment volume 1, pages 6–7 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

First documented in 2014, plastiglomerate continues to proliferate across the Earth’s surface. While these materials represent long-lasting symbols of anthropogenic impacts on the environment, they also highlight the need to address the global plastic crisis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Samples of Kamilo Beach plastiglomerate, exhibiting natural and human-made materials held together in a plastic matrix.

References

  1. Corcoran, P. L., Moore, C. & Jazvac, K. An anthropogenic marker horizon in the future rock record. GSA Today 24, 4–8 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Turner, A. et al. Marine pollution from pyroplastics. Sci. Total Environ. 694, 1–8 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Gestoso, I. et al. Plasticrusts: a new potential threat in the Anthropocene’s rocky shores. Sci. Total Environ. 687, 413–415 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Patricia L. Corcoran

  2. Department of Studio Arts, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Kelly Jazvac

Authors
  1. Patricia L. Corcoran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kelly Jazvac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patricia L. Corcoran.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Corcoran, P.L., Jazvac, K. The consequence that is plastiglomerate. Nat Rev Earth Environ 1, 6–7 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-019-0010-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-019-0010-9

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Anthropocene

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Anthropocene newsletter — what matters in anthropocene research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Anthropocene