Environment Day : The harmful effect of Plastic on Marine Life

AGRITA CHHIBBER

8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year.

This is the same as dumping one truckload into the ocean every minute of the day. It then embarks on a protracted and destructive journey.

According to Winnie Lau, senior officer for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Preventing Ocean Plastics campaign, “the plastic that enters the ocean can be carried vast distances by currents to all parts of the world, including remote Antarctica and the Mariana trench, the deepest place on Earth.” Along the journey, it disrupts ecosystems and endangers marine life incalculably.

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Despite the severity of the issue, plastic is still being produced all over the world, endangering the oceans. Why is plastic waste so dangerous to the ocean, and what can we do to prevent it?

In our everyday lives, plastic is practically everywhere. Everything from food packaging to cosmetics, apparel, furniture, computers, and automobiles are made using it. This common substance is made to be extremely durable, thus a large portion of it doesn’t decompose.

Depending on the type, plastic can decompose in landfills in a matter of decades or perhaps millions of years. Because of this, almost every piece of plastic ever produced still exists today, unless it is burned, which also contributes to pollution. When plastic reaches the water, its impacts can linger for decades.

We generate more than 300 million tonnes of plastic waste annually on a global scale, and that amount is increasing. Yet just 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled, with the remainder being disposed of or burnt and primarily ending up in landfills. The fact that 50% of the plastic we create is single use, or designed to be thrown away as soon as it has completed its intended use, such as straws, plastic carrier bags, and water bottles, is a major contributing factor in this.

Environment Day : The harmful effect of Plastic on Marine Life — Photo by ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com

Single-use plastic increases the amount of waste that goes into landfills and, consequently, increases the amount that ultimately leaks into the environment because it is generated so regularly and discarded so quickly.

The ocean, which is incredibly large and deep, serves as a significant sink for global pollution. Ships that lose cargo at sea are the source of some of the plastic that ends up in the water.

About 10% of plastic garbage at sea comes from ghost gear, which includes abandoned plastic fishing nets and longlines. Additionally, marine aquaculture contributes to the issue, particularly when the polystyrene foam used to build the floating fish cage frames ends up in the ocean.

However, the majority of garbage that gets into the water comes from land. Extreme weather and strong winds carry it there, and the tides quickly carry out pollution along beaches. Additionally, thousands of rivers flow into the ocean, where they eventually dump tonnes of unsecured trash and rubbish from landfills.

The majority of river-borne plastic that makes its way into the oceans comes from just 10 rivers, eight of which come from Asia. China’s Yangtze is the biggest source, providing 1.5 million metric tonnes annually. This is primarily due to the fact that some nations contracted with China to manage their plastic garbage. China imported nearly half of the plastic waste produced worldwide up until January 2018, when it outlawed the trade.

When plastic enters the water, the abrasive environments and constant motion cause it to degrade into microplastics, which are particles with a diameter of less than 5 mm. As a result, plastic is spread further and deeper into the ocean, encroaching on more habitats and becoming practically unrecoverable.

What effect does it have on marine life?

Each year, hundreds of thousands of marine animals become entangled in plastic garbage, particularly in ghost gear, which restricts their movement and food intake and leads to injuries and diseases.

Less obvious is the destruction caused by plastic ingestion: because some plastic debris has a similar colour and shape to their prey, seabirds, turtles, fish, and whales frequently mistake it for food.

Additionally, floating plastic develops germs and algae on its surface, giving it an aroma that attracts some marine life. Ingesting plastic can penetrate internal organs or result in catastrophic intestinal blockages in animals. It can also result in malnutrition because an overstuffed stomach makes an animal appear full.

Plankton, the food source for hundreds of species at the base of the food chain, and microplastics share a similar appearance, hence plastic is present across entire ecosystems. Even microscopic species like coral polyps constantly consume microplastics, according to research.

Additionally, plastics contain hazardous compounds and absorb contaminants that are floating in the ocean. According to preliminary study, consuming these toxin-infused particles by animals may harm their organs, increase their susceptibility to sickness, and affect how they reproduce.

What you should do on Environment Day 2023?

Reduced usage of single-use plastic, which is a major contributor to the ocean’s plastic pollution, will undoubtedly have the biggest impact on consumers.

Another significant factor is recycling plastic wherever feasible. Participating in community beach and river clean-ups as a volunteer helps to cut down on the quantity of loose trash that ends up in the ocean. It is also vital to support initiatives and legislative changes that lower the production of pointless plastics.

This has produced notable triumphs in the past, such as the prohibition on the use of microbeads, which are microscopic plastic spheres, in cosmetics and toiletries in the United Kingdom, the United States, and other nations. Similar government plastics initiatives in China resulted in a national ban on thin, single-use carrier bags in 2008.

That is currently being expanded to eliminate single-use plastics nationwide by 2025.

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