Plastic pollution is one of the most visible and complex environmental issues today. Interested and concerned parties include researchers, governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, industry, media, and the general public. One key assumption behind the issue and the public outcry is that plastics last indefinitely in the environment, resulting in chronic exposure that harms animals and humans. But the data supporting this assumption are scant.

中文翻译：

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意见：我们需要有关塑料产品环境持久性的更好数据。

塑料污染是当今最明显和最复杂的环境问题之一。感兴趣和关注的各方包括研究人员，政府机构，非政府组织，行业，媒体和公众。这个问题和公众的强烈抗议背后的一个关键假设是，塑料在环境中无限期地存在，从而导致长期暴露于动物和人类身上。但是支持这一假设的数据很少。