Microplastics in the aquatic and terrestrial environment: sources (with a specific focus on personal care products), fate and effects

Environmental Sciences Europe

Table 1 Densities of plastic materials that are often found in the aquatic environment

Plastic class	Abbreviation	Density (g/cm³)^a,b
Expanded polystyrene (styrofoam)	EPS	0.01–0.04
Low-density polyethylene	LDPE	0.89–0.93
High-density polyethylene	HDPE	0.94–0.98
Polypropylene	PP	0.83–0.92
Polyethylene terephthalate	PET	0.96–1.45
Polyamide (nylon)	PA	1.02–1.16
Polystyrene	PS	1.04–1.1
Polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic)	PMMA	1.09–1.20
Polyvinylchloride	PVC	1.16–1.58
Polycarbonate	PC	1.20–1.22
Polyurethane	PU	1.2
Alkyd	–	1.24–2.10
Polyester	PES	1.24–2.3
Polytetrafluoroethylene	PTFE	2.1–2.3

^aNote that densities of plastic items can be modified by additives and environmental processes such as weathering and fouling
^bBased on [11, 16, 25, 109]