{
 "name": "Ocean trash data",
 "publisher": "Code4Ocean",
 "url": "https://code4ocean.com/ocean-trash-data/",
 "dateModified": "2026-10-25",
 "items": [
  {
   "id": "glass_jar",
   "name": "Glass jar",
   "material": "glass",
   "decompose_min": 1000000,
   "decompose_max": 1000000,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 5,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 0,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Chemically inert but never breaks down; shards cut.",
   "source": "Do I Recycle or Upcycle?",
   "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/articles/lnt.htm",
   "quote": "a glass jar can take a million years"
  },
  {
   "id": "tin_foil",
   "name": "Tin foil",
   "material": "aluminium",
   "decompose_min": 1000,
   "decompose_max": 2000,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 6,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "NPS says it will never decompose; shiny bits get swallowed.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Prevention: decomposition key",
   "source_url": "https://www.aquariumofthebay.org/wp-content/uploads/marine_debris_prevention_1_edu.pdf",
   "quote": "Aluminum foil 1,000-2,000 years"
  },
  {
   "id": "fishing_line",
   "name": "Fishing line",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 600,
   "decompose_max": 600,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 8,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 3,
   "why": "Nearly invisible loops entangle and drown fish, turtles and birds.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "bottle_cap",
   "name": "Bottle cap",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 500,
   "decompose_max": 500,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 8,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Small and colourful, so seabirds mistake it for food; plastic may never fully go away.",
   "source": "Marine Debris: Plastics",
   "source_url": "https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial-coastal/marine-debris/md03.html",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "toothbrush",
   "name": "Toothbrush",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 500,
   "decompose_max": 500,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 6,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Hard plastic breaks into microplastics; nylon bristles snag on reefs.",
   "source": "Decomposition Rates card",
   "source_url": "https://cangeoeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2-Decomposition-rates-card.pdf",
   "quote": "Toothbrush handles 500 years"
  },
  {
   "id": "bottle",
   "name": "Plastic bottle",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 450,
   "decompose_max": 450,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 8,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Fragments into microplastics; caps and pieces are swallowed.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "face_mask",
   "name": "Face mask",
   "material": "polypropylene",
   "decompose_min": 450,
   "decompose_max": 450,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 8,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 3,
   "why": "Polypropylene sheds microfibres; ear loops tangle birds and turtles.",
   "source": "Masques jetables : dans la poubelle uniquement !",
   "source_url": "https://osny.fr/les-services/environnement/zero-dechets/masques-jetables-dans-la-poubelle-uniquement",
   "quote": "Leur durée de décomposition est d’environ 450 ans."
  },
  {
   "id": "diaper",
   "name": "Disposable diaper",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 450,
   "decompose_max": 450,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Plastic shell and absorbent gel break into microplastics.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "plastic_plate",
   "name": "Plastic cups and plates",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 450,
   "decompose_max": 450,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Top-ten beach litter; breaks into sharp bits and microplastics.",
   "source": "Decomposition Rates card",
   "source_url": "https://cangeoeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2-Decomposition-rates-card.pdf",
   "quote": "Party cup 450 years"
  },
  {
   "id": "straw",
   "name": "Plastic straw",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 200,
   "decompose_max": 200,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 8,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Breaks into microplastics; small enough for turtles and birds to swallow.",
   "source": "Do I Recycle or Upcycle?",
   "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/articles/lnt.htm",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "plastic_fork",
   "name": "Plastic cutlery",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 200,
   "decompose_max": 200,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Top-ten beach litter; sharp tines and plastic that may never fully go away.",
   "source": "England to ban single-use plastic cutlery, plates and trays",
   "source_url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/01/england-ban-single-use-plastic-utensils-cutlery-plates-takeout/",
   "quote": "A plastic fork can take 200 years to decompose"
  },
  {
   "id": "cotton_swab",
   "name": "Cotton swab",
   "material": "plastic and cotton",
   "decompose_min": 200,
   "decompose_max": 200,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Flushed down toilets; the thin plastic stick gets swallowed by birds and small fish.",
   "source": "Gove takes action to ban plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds",
   "source_url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gove-takes-action-to-ban-plastic-straws-stirrers-and-cotton-buds",
   "quote": "take hundreds of years to break down"
  },
  {
   "id": "can",
   "name": "Aluminium can",
   "material": "aluminum",
   "decompose_min": 200,
   "decompose_max": 200,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 6,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Metal and its plastic lining persist; torn edges cut.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "plastic_bag",
   "name": "Plastic bag",
   "material": "plastic",
   "decompose_min": 100,
   "decompose_max": 500,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 8,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Turtles mistake it for jellyfish; it shreds into microplastics.",
   "source": "Plastic Bag Free Day",
   "source_url": "https://speech-repository.webcloud.ec.europa.eu/news/plastic-bag-free-day",
   "quote": "they take from 100 to 500 years to disintegrate"
  },
  {
   "id": "foam_buoy",
   "name": "Foam buoy",
   "material": "polystyrene foam",
   "decompose_min": 80,
   "decompose_max": 80,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 3,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Crumbles into foam beads that animals mistake for food.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "rubber_boot",
   "name": "Rubber boot sole",
   "material": "rubber",
   "decompose_min": 50,
   "decompose_max": 80,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 5,
   "persistence": 3,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 0,
   "why": "Synthetic rubber wears into tiny particles with additives.",
   "source": "Environmental Stewardship (Trash Timeline resource sheet)",
   "source_url": "https://www.everykidoutdoors.gov/activities/scholastic-two.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "cup",
   "name": "Foam cup",
   "material": "polystyrene foam",
   "decompose_min": 50,
   "decompose_max": 50,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 3,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Crumbles into foam beads that animals mistake for food.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "foam_box",
   "name": "Foam food box",
   "material": "polystyrene foam",
   "decompose_min": 50,
   "decompose_max": 50,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 3,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Same foam as a cup: crumbles into beads that animals mistake for food.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Prevention: decomposition key",
   "source_url": "https://www.aquariumofthebay.org/wp-content/uploads/marine_debris_prevention_1_edu.pdf",
   "quote": "Foamed plastic cup 50 years"
  },
  {
   "id": "candy_wrapper",
   "name": "Candy wrapper",
   "material": "plastic and foil",
   "decompose_min": 20,
   "decompose_max": 20,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 6,
   "persistence": 3,
   "toxicity": 2,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Plastic-foil layers break into small shiny pieces animals can swallow.",
   "source": "Do I Recycle or Upcycle?",
   "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/articles/lnt.htm",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "ice_cream_stick",
   "name": "Ice cream stick",
   "material": "painted wood",
   "decompose_min": 13,
   "decompose_max": 13,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 3,
   "persistence": 2,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 0,
   "why": "Wood rots, but the paint flakes off into the water.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": "Painted wooden stick 13 years"
  },
  {
   "id": "pencil",
   "name": "Pencil",
   "material": "wood and graphite",
   "decompose_min": 13,
   "decompose_max": 13,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 3,
   "persistence": 2,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 0,
   "why": "Wood rots slowly; paint and the metal band stay behind.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Prevention: decomposition key",
   "source_url": "https://www.aquariumofthebay.org/wp-content/uploads/marine_debris_prevention_1_edu.pdf",
   "quote": "Pencil 13 years"
  },
  {
   "id": "cigarette_butt",
   "name": "Cigarette butt",
   "material": "cellulose acetate",
   "decompose_min": 10,
   "decompose_max": 10,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 7,
   "persistence": 2,
   "toxicity": 3,
   "wildlife": 2,
   "why": "Leaches nicotine, arsenic and heavy metals; one smoked butt per litre of water killed half the test fish in 96 hours.",
   "source": "Do I Recycle or Upcycle?",
   "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/articles/lnt.htm",
   "quote": "where they will stay for over 10 years"
  },
  {
   "id": "plywood",
   "name": "Plywood",
   "material": "wood",
   "decompose_min": 3,
   "decompose_max": 3,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 3,
   "persistence": 2,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 0,
   "why": "Glues and treatments leach as it rots.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "balloon",
   "name": "Balloon",
   "material": "latex",
   "decompose_min": 2,
   "decompose_max": 200,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 8,
   "persistence": 4,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 3,
   "why": "Swallowed by turtles and seabirds as food; the ribbon tangles them.",
   "source": "The Scary Truth About Party Balloons",
   "source_url": "https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/scary-truth-about-party-balloons",
   "quote": "the balloons can persist in environments such as the deep sea for years or centuries before becoming microplastics"
  },
  {
   "id": "wool_sock",
   "name": "Wool sock",
   "material": "wool",
   "decompose_min": 1,
   "decompose_max": 5,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 3,
   "persistence": 2,
   "toxicity": 0,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Natural fibre that rots slowly; can be swallowed.",
   "source": "Environmental Stewardship (Trash Timeline resource sheet)",
   "source_url": "https://www.everykidoutdoors.gov/activities/scholastic-two.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "wool_glove",
   "name": "Wool glove",
   "material": "wool",
   "decompose_min": 1,
   "decompose_max": 1,
   "decompose_unit": "year",
   "harm": 2,
   "persistence": 1,
   "toxicity": 0,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Natural fibre; can be swallowed.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "milk_carton",
   "name": "Milk carton",
   "material": "waxed paperboard",
   "decompose_min": 3,
   "decompose_max": 3,
   "decompose_unit": "month",
   "harm": 1,
   "persistence": 0,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 0,
   "why": "Wax coating slows paper decay.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "newspaper",
   "name": "Newspaper",
   "material": "paper",
   "decompose_min": 6,
   "decompose_max": 6,
   "decompose_unit": "week",
   "harm": 1,
   "persistence": 0,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 0,
   "why": "Breaks down fast; inks add a little pollution.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "tshirt",
   "name": "Cloth T-shirt",
   "material": "cotton",
   "decompose_min": 1,
   "decompose_max": 5,
   "decompose_unit": "month",
   "harm": 2,
   "persistence": 0,
   "toxicity": 1,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Rots in months, but dyes leach and loose cloth can snag animals.",
   "source": "Do I Recycle or Upcycle?",
   "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/articles/lnt.htm",
   "quote": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "paper_bag",
   "name": "Paper bag",
   "material": "paper",
   "decompose_min": 1,
   "decompose_max": 1,
   "decompose_unit": "month",
   "harm": 1,
   "persistence": 0,
   "toxicity": 0,
   "wildlife": 1,
   "why": "Breaks down fast; a soggy bag can still smother small animals for a while.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Prevention: decomposition key",
   "source_url": "https://www.aquariumofthebay.org/wp-content/uploads/marine_debris_prevention_1_edu.pdf",
   "quote": "Paper bag 1 month"
  },
  {
   "id": "cardboard",
   "name": "Cardboard box",
   "material": "paper",
   "decompose_min": 2,
   "decompose_max": 4,
   "decompose_unit": "week",
   "harm": 0,
   "persistence": 0,
   "toxicity": 0,
   "wildlife": 0,
   "why": "Breaks down within weeks.",
   "source": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "source_url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "quote": ""
  }
 ],
 "sources": {
  "epa_gom_timeline": {
   "title": "Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation",
   "publisher": "Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Northwest District), information sourced from the US Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program",
   "url": "https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "archiveUrl": "http://web.archive.org/web/20240622113610/https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/marine-debris-timeline-epa.pdf",
   "host": "US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (bsee.gov)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-03",
   "sha256": "009d5996061438dd77957a75cffb0f70c7460f7867580069408c043db0ce449c",
   "caveat": "Approximate times printed on an educational poster. Real breakdown depends on sunlight, temperature, oxygen and microbes; plastics fragment into microplastics rather than disappear."
  },
  "nps_lnt": {
   "title": "Do I Recycle or Upcycle?",
   "publisher": "U.S. National Park Service, First State National Historical Park (Junior Ranger Online)",
   "url": "https://www.nps.gov/articles/lnt.htm",
   "archiveUrl": "http://web.archive.org/web/20260218191904/https://www.nps.gov/articles/lnt.htm",
   "host": "U.S. National Park Service (nps.gov)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-04",
   "pageUpdated": "2020-05-21",
   "caveat": "Educational estimates for litter on land, written for children."
  },
  "noaa_mdp_plastic": {
   "title": "Plastic",
   "publisher": "NOAA Marine Debris Program",
   "url": "https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/what-marine-debris/plastic",
   "archiveUrl": "http://web.archive.org/web/20260929145650/https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/what-marine-debris/plastic",
   "host": "U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-04",
   "pageUpdated": "2025-04-10",
   "caveat": "Gives no number: plastics 'may never fully go away'. Lists bottle caps among the top ten items of the 2018 International Coastal Cleanup."
  },
  "eko_trash_timeline": {
   "title": "Environmental Stewardship (Trash Timeline resource sheet)",
   "publisher": "Every Kid Outdoors, U.S. federal interagency program (lesson made with Scholastic)",
   "url": "https://www.everykidoutdoors.gov/activities/scholastic-two.pdf",
   "archiveUrl": "http://web.archive.org/web/20260325115720/https://everykidoutdoors.gov/activities/scholastic-two.pdf",
   "host": "Every Kid Outdoors (everykidoutdoors.gov)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-04",
   "sha256": "2d7ac8da07b9305f10d12a77b6b914e0ea243fd353d74885ec4f44546ed3c31e",
   "caveat": "Classroom estimates without a cited study; used only for items the EPA chart does not list."
  },
  "slaughter_2011": {
   "title": "Toxicity of cigarette butts, and their chemical components, to marine and freshwater fish (Slaughter E, Gersberg RM, Watanabe K, Rudolph J, Stransky C, Novotny TE)",
   "publisher": "Tobacco Control (BMJ), 2011;20(Suppl 1):i25-i29, doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040170, via PubMed Central (NIH)",
   "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3088407/",
   "host": "PubMed Central (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-04",
   "caveat": "Lab test: leachate from butts soaked 24 h; LC50 over 96 h was about one smoked butt per litre for topsmelt and fathead minnow. The in-game leak rate is a gameplay scale, not this dose."
  },
  "noaa_os_marine_debris": {
   "title": "Marine Debris: Plastics",
   "publisher": "NOAA National Ocean Service, Coastal Tutorial",
   "url": "https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial-coastal/marine-debris/md03.html",
   "host": "NOAA (noaa.gov)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-15",
   "caveat": "Gives no figure for caps: some plastics 'may never fully go away'. The game shows the project's floor of more than 500 years (user rule, 2026-10-15)."
  },
  "aotb_marine_debris": {
   "title": "Marine Debris Prevention: decomposition key",
   "publisher": "Aquarium of the Bay (San Francisco)",
   "url": "https://www.aquariumofthebay.org/wp-content/uploads/marine_debris_prevention_1_edu.pdf",
   "host": "Aquarium of the Bay (aquariumofthebay.org)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-15",
   "caveat": "Educational estimates 'in the marine environment'."
  },
  "ec_plastic_bags": {
   "title": "Plastic Bag Free Day",
   "publisher": "European Commission, Speech Repository",
   "url": "https://speech-repository.webcloud.ec.europa.eu/news/plastic-bag-free-day",
   "host": "European Commission (europa.eu)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-15",
   "pageUpdated": "2020-07-01",
   "caveat": "'they take from 100 to 500 years to disintegrate'; not specific to sea water."
  },
  "uk_cutlery_ban_2023": {
   "title": "England to ban single-use plastic cutlery, plates and trays",
   "publisher": "Mother Jones (republishing The Guardian), quoting the UK Environment Secretary",
   "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/01/england-ban-single-use-plastic-utensils-cutlery-plates-takeout/",
   "host": "Mother Jones (motherjones.com)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-15",
   "pageUpdated": "2023-01-13",
   "caveat": "A government statement, not a study: 'A plastic fork can take 200 years to decompose'."
  },
  "cangeo_decomposition": {
   "title": "Decomposition Rates card",
   "publisher": "Canadian Geographic Education (figures credited to NOAA, US EPA and Woods Hole Sea Grant)",
   "url": "https://cangeoeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2-Decomposition-rates-card.pdf",
   "host": "Canadian Geographic Education (cangeoeducation.ca)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-15",
   "pageUpdated": "2021-04",
   "caveat": "Time 'to break down in the ocean'. Party cup figure, used for plates (no plate-specific figure found)."
  },
  "osny_masks": {
   "title": "Masques jetables : dans la poubelle uniquement !",
   "publisher": "Ville d'Osny (French municipal government)",
   "url": "https://osny.fr/les-services/environnement/zero-dechets/masques-jetables-dans-la-poubelle-uniquement",
   "host": "Ville d'Osny (osny.fr)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-25",
   "pageUpdated": "2022-02-24",
   "caveat": "Town-hall guidance in French, not a study, and not sea-specific: 'Leur durée de décomposition est d’environ 450 ans' (about 450 years)."
  },
  "defra_cotton_buds_2019": {
   "title": "Gove takes action to ban plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds",
   "publisher": "UK Government, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (GOV.UK)",
   "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gove-takes-action-to-ban-plastic-straws-stirrers-and-cotton-buds",
   "host": "GOV.UK (gov.uk)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-25",
   "pageUpdated": "2019-05-22",
   "caveat": "A government statement with no number: 'take hundreds of years to break down'; the game reads 'hundreds' as at least 200 years (user, 2026-10-25)."
  },
  "noaa_balloons_blog": {
   "title": "The Scary Truth About Party Balloons",
   "publisher": "NOAA Marine Debris Program blog (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)",
   "url": "https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/scary-truth-about-party-balloons",
   "host": "NOAA Marine Debris Program (blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov)",
   "retrieved": "2026-10-25",
   "caveat": "Words only, no figure: balloons 'can persist in environments such as the deep sea for years or centuries'. The game shows 'many years'."
  }
 }
}