OCEANS AND PLASTIC

Our oceans are turning into plastic….are we conscious about this? The answer to this question would most likely be not really. Generally many of us knew how much plastic effects the environment around us. Many of us might have also seen tons of plastic being dumped in some areas and how that areas have been affected by it. But how many of us knew that the plastic which is more than a million times the quantity we see on the land is being dumped in the ocean?

HOW MUCH PLASTIC IS IN THE OCEAN?

          Plastic is a major contributor to ocean pollution, but ‘how much plastic is in the ocean’, you ask? A study published in 2017 estimated between 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans via rivers annually, with peak months being between May and October. The top 20 contributing rivers which, according to the report are mostly found in Asia, contribute around 67% of all plastics flowing into the ocean from rivers around the world.

          The demand for plastic has increased dramatically over the last 70 years. According to Plastic Ocean, 300 million tons of plastic is produced globally every year. Half of that plastic is used for disposable items that will only be used once. As a result, more than 8 million tons of discarded plastic ends up in our oceans every single year. Once it is there it doesn’t readily go away.

          The Worldwatch Institute estimates that the average American or European person typically uses 100 kilograms of plastic every year, most of which consists of packaging, and while it is estimated that Asians currently only use an average of 20 kilograms per person, this is expected to rise due to economic growth in the region.

IMPACTS OF PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN 

1. On Marine Ecosystems: The most visible impacts of plastic debris are the ingestion, suffocation, and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish, and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey; most then die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic. They also suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim, and internal injuries. Floating plastics also help transport invasive marine species, thereby threatening marine biodiversity and the food web.

2. On Food And Human Health: Microplastics have been found in tap water, beer, salt and are present in all samples collected in the world’s oceans, including the Arctic. Several chemicals used in the production of plastic materials are known to be carcinogenic and to interfere with the body’s endocrine system, causing developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders in both humans and wildlife. Recently, microplastics were found in human placentas but more research is needed to determine if this is a widespread problem.

“If we are doubling what we are putting into the ocean on a ten-year basis, there’s no way to keep up… It would be as if you were vacuuming your living room, and I’m standing in the doorway with a bag of dust and a fan. You can constantly keep vacuuming, but you could never catch up.” Chris Wilcox, an ecologist at CSIRO so aptly explains in an interview with National Geographic