Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a new type of plastic with multiple innovative properties, including increased resistance to breaking and the ability to repair itself faster. What makes it special: The new invention, known as vitrimer incorporated with polyester-grafted polyrotaxane — or simply VPR — is stronger and more flexible than standard plastics. VPR also biodegrades by 25% when submerged in seawater for 30 days.
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Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, according to research. Data analysed by the charity Prostate Cancer UK shows it has overtaken breast cancer to be the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease, with 57,192 new cases in 2018 – the most recent figures available. Worryingly many have attributed a type of plastic which could increase a person’s risk of developing the deadly disease. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a common building block in resins and some types of plastic and is said to increase a person’s risk of prostate cancer.