So I was walking around Aker Brygge and checking out this scene:
When something small, perfectly circular, and blue caught my eye…..
You guessed it, NURDLE SIGHTING!!
So when I say they are tiny pollutants, it is the honest truth. I mean look at how small this plastic pellet is! And if you are wondering if I took it, you know me well. Of course I pocketed it and then proceeded to tell everyone about it and brought it to the lab….
Where I photographed it:
And took an FTIR scan of it:
Fourier-Transform InfraRed spectroscopy is a technique to use infrared radiation to decipher the molecular structure of chemicals and polymers. Each type of molecular bond has a unique pattern of infrared frequencies it can absorb. These patterns can be used to derive molecular fingerprints. (Hans Peter Arp)
In the lab they use the machine to match particles to a library of known plastics. The back line is the fingerprint of the blue nurdle, the red line is polyethylene. Turns out this vibrant blue pellet is a match for polyethylene low density and polyethylene high density.