Most plastics are considered organic compounds (made of combinations of carbon with hydrogen and oxygen). What happens to plastics that are in landfills, dumps, or
in the ocean? (In other words: How long does it take them to decompose?) Using this information and the Law of Conservation of Matter, what is happening to the carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen used in plastics? Why might this be a problem?
Many nutrient cycles go through all four spheres that we have discussed: the biosphere, geosphere/lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Choose a nutrient cycle
(sulfur, carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus), and discuss how the nutrient moves through the different spheres.
Sample Solution