plastic marine pollution Archives - Silvica: Blog for Sustainable Development http://silvica.site/tag/plastic-marine-pollution/ Greening our world through content Mon, 01 Jun 2020 12:02:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 https://i0.wp.com/silvica.site/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/cropped-silvica_image.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 plastic marine pollution Archives - Silvica: Blog for Sustainable Development http://silvica.site/tag/plastic-marine-pollution/ 32 32 162136420 Sources, effects and how to prevent marine pollution https://silvica.site/sources-effects-and-how-to-prevent-marine-pollution/ Mon, 01 Jun 2020 11:58:28 +0000 http://silvica.site/?p=1056 Marine pollution is an urgent environmental issue. Trash and chemicals from land and ships pollute the vital aquatic ecosystems, with plastics being a major pollutant.

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By David Okul

The marine environment is vulnerable to pollution from various human-made sources.  A staggering 80% of all the pollution in the marine ecosystems originates from land. Shipping accidents and oil spills make up the rest of the contamination. In general, the sources of marine pollution include:

  1. Nutrients– nutrients from sewage, farming, and forestry runoff are the leading contributors to marine pollution. Nutrients are also prevalent in nitrogen oxides from automobiles and power plants. They pollute the marine environment by feeding algal blooms present in coastal waters.  Nutrients further play a role in decomposing algae, consequently robbing the water of oxygen and eventually killing marine life. Nutrients spur red tides, producing toxins responsible for poisoning people, and killing fish.
  2. Sediments– sediments are a result of erosion from farming, mining, forestry, and coastal dredging. They pollute the marine environment by clouding water hence hindering photosynthesis below the surface waters. 
  3. Pathogens– the primary source of pathogens include livestock and sewage. Pathogens contaminate ocean waters and seafood, further spreading typhoid, cholera, and other diseases.
  4. Plastics– millions of plastics in oceans contribute heavily to marine pollution. The main source of plastics in the marine environment include fishing nets, beach litter, and wastes from the plastic industry. Plastic litter coasts and beaches and they can remain in the ocean water for hundreds of years. Plastic debris is known to entangle marine life, causing deaths and severe injuries. Plastic causes about 60-90% of all pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
  5. Radioactive substances– these substances come from military waste and a discarded nuclear submarine. They can further originate from industrial wastes and atmospheric fallout.
  6. Oil–Oil from cars, industries, oil tankers, and heavy machinery accounts for 33% of marine pollution. Oil contamination in the oceans can kill marine life. Tar and other petroleum by-products litter coastal habitats and beaches.
  7. Noise– Noise from large water vessels such as supertankers also pollutes the marine environment a great deal. Loud noise can be heard miles away underwater. Noise suppresses marine life. It even scares away fish and various types of marine life.

In summary, marine pollution is either caused by trash or chemicals. Of importance is to appreciate the role of plastics in marine pollution. As a significant pollutant, plastics also disintegrate into microplastic, which is consumed by organisms in the oceans. Scientists have not identified with certainty the effects of microplastics.

Effects of marine pollution

The overabundance of marine pollution has adverse consequences. Below are the major implications of marine pollution.

  • Kills marine life and jeopardizes human health– pollution leaves debris in the water. The waste is hazardous and chemically harmful. They can kill a wide array of marine life. Courtesy of marine pollution discarded broken glass, plastic and metal cans can harm fish and humans. Trash litters beaches alongside coastal areas, hence affecting human life. When in large quantities, debris can hinder ships from navigating.
  • Pollutants in the food chain- fish and other water creatures can consume pollutants, including chemicals, heavy metals, and garbage. Since humans consume these animals, the pollutants in them can quickly get to the food chain, finally accumulating in various seafood consumed by humans. Marine pollution contaminates shellfish and mussels that the seafood industry relies on.
  • Source of ailments– marine pollution exposes humans who come into contact with contaminated water to several illnesses. For instance, a reproductive system failure can occur from prolonged exposure to toxic agricultural and industrial chemicals. Pollutants in ocean waters can expose humans to eye and skin irritation. Moreover, liver and lung problems can develop following exposure to oil by-products and oil spillages in the oceans. 
  • Disrupts the aquatic environment– the excess phosphorous and nitrogen resulting from widespread water pollution can lead to algal blooms. This disruption affects the ecosystem since algae overrun the ecosystem over time. Once alga blooms start to decompose and sink, the ocean waters’ oxygen levels can deplete drastically. This creates dead zones since marine life is unable to thrive in that hostile aquatic environment. Eventually, the disruption caused scares away fish and other marine species, prompting them to leave. Other fish species die if they are unable to flee.
Plastic pollution is a problem
Plastic bags are a major cause of pollution. They often end up affecting domestic and wild animals. Sea creatures are perhaps the most affected by plastic (Image by Francis Ray from Pixabay)

How can we prevent marine pollution?

As detrimental as marine pollution is to the environment, this pollution can be prevented. Below are actionable ways of preventing marine pollution.

  1. Embracing biodegradable plastic options

Plastics have various adverse effects on the environment and are leading contributors to marine pollution. Plastic containers that we utilize on an everyday basis are non-recyclable. They end up in waterways, eventually getting into the oceans.

We should switch to biodegradable plastic options. Such options aren’t hazardous to the environment, and they decompose rather quickly. As such, the chances of biodegradable containers getting to the oceans are minimal.

  1. Managing ballast water effectively.

Ballast water helps with maintaining the ship’s stability and maneuverability as it navigates in oceans. This water hosts sea animals, and hence it has implications on the aquatic ecosystems once discharged.

The environmental pollution caused by ballast water can be dealt with effectively by the maritime authority. For instance, maritime companies can switch to huge containerships since they use a smaller volume of ballast water. Again, ships can use blast water that contains fewer creatures. 

  1. Installing tight air seals in ships

Oil spillages are prevalent in the oceans. They kill many fish spices each year. To prevent such disastrous spillages that jeopardize the marine environment, ships should have tight air seals to prevent accidental spillages.

  1. Taking part in beach clean-ups

Trash is detrimental to the marine environment since it litters beaches and further contaminates ocean waters. Eliminating trash is an excellent precaution measure to counter marine pollution. Since rubbish will forever find its way to the marine environment, the public should be encouraged to take part in regular beach clean-ups.

  1. Reducing rubbish and recycling

We should reduce our quantities of rubbish. These actions significantly reduce the amount of waste that usually gets into the oceans. Recycling is an effective way of reducing litter. Papers, plastic containers, and cans can be recycled. Companies also need to lower their packaging to reduce rubbish in the long-run.

  1. Avoid draining sewage into the oceans.

Sewage leads to massive water pollution. It also packs infectious bacteria that cause diseases such as typhoid and cholera.  Despite a booming construction industry, builders should be prohibited from draining sewage into oceans to save the marine environment.

Let us work at addressing the marine pollution problem

Marine pollution is rife. Worse still, this pollution is caused by multiple factors, all of which are challenging to keep at bay. Nonetheless, action ought to be taken to counter marine pollution, preventing it from compromising the marine life and human health.

Marine pollution is an urgent environmental issue. Trash and chemicals from land and ships pollute the vital aquatic ecosystems, with plastics being a major pollutant.

David Okul is an environmental management professional with over 10 years experience on donor projects, conservation, forestry, ecotourism, and community-based natural resources management. When not working on  active environmental management projects, I spend my time writing for Silvica on a variety of topics.

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]]> 1056 Nine Reasons why Plastics are regarded as the Bad Boys of Global Pollution https://silvica.site/nine-reasons-why-plastics-are-regarded-as-the-bad-boys-of-global-pollution/ Fri, 19 Jul 2019 03:46:27 +0000 http://silvica.site/?p=419 By David OkulJuly 19, 2019 Plastic, especially single use plastics, is causing widespread damage to the natural environment From the Arctic to Antarctica, Plastic is

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By David Okul
July 19, 2019

Plastic, especially single use plastics, is causing widespread damage to the natural environment

From the Arctic to Antarctica, Plastic is literally everywhere on the planet. In the United States alone, more than 100 billion plastic bags are used annually. The figure translates to more than 300 bags per person.  The UN estimates that between one and five trillion bags of plastics are produced worldwide. Since 1950, it is estimated that man has produced over 9.2 million metric tons of plastic. Of the plastic produced, 6.9 billion tons became waste and 6.3 billion tons was never recycled. That is, it ended in landfills. Nevertheless, the exact number of plastic bags produced globally is largely unknown.

The proliferation of the bags is high that it has overwhelmed most of the western nations waste collection systems. Part of the problems of the plastic bag is that the flimsy bags are among the least recycled products because they tend to jam machinery during recycling. Their lack of recyclability is one of the top reasons why plastic wastes are regarded as bad boys of pollution. Here are nine other reasons we have compiled:

1. Plastic is toxic and dangerous

Anyone who has ever burned plastic bags knows of its toxic smells. Just the smell of incinerated plastics can give you an idea of the toxicity of the substance. The chemicals in the plastic can be divided into three parts including the ingredients for manufacture, the by-products of manufacturing, and chemicals adsorbed by plastic. Some of the common harmful chemicals in plastics include Bisphenol A, Polyurethanes (PUR), polyacrylonitriles (PAN), and polyvinyl chlorides (PVC).  It has been established that the chemicals in plastics could disrupt hormones that are crucial for healthy existence. Additionally, plastics act as magnets for other range of poisons and pollutants.

2. Plastics are Forever

Forget diamonds! Plastics are truly forever as they are not biodegradable. This fact is emphasized by a shipping accident. In 1992, a shipping container with 28,000 plastic and rubber duckies fell somewhere between Hong Kong and the United States. To date, these duckies wash ashore from time to time. They have been spotted even in different oceans such as the eastern seaboard of the United States. To make it worse, that has not been the only plastic consignment lost in seas. There are millions of Lego pieces, sneakers, styrofoam insulation, plastic crates, and a plethora of other items lost in the sea. The lost consignment demonstrates how indestructible plastic is in the seas and the far-reaching effects of the pollution. Many scientists have claimed that it takes 1000 years for plastic to break down. 1000 years is a millennium by the way!

3. Groundwater pollution from plastics

Plastics are causing widespread pollution to the groundwater sources. Plastics usually reacts with water creating harmful chemicals such as Styrene Trimer and Bisphenol A which are extremely harmful to human health. Bisphenol A has been established to affect the reproduction system of a variety of animal species, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it has the same effects on humans. This point relates to the first point on the toxicity of plastics.

Plastic bags could block drainage
Floods are among the most common disasters caused by plastics in urban areas

4. Plastic cause floods

The major cause of floods is obviously heavy precipitation, usually from rainfall. However, there are some cases where the water damage and floods could be avoided if people had not been irresponsibly disposing of plastics. The dumped plastics often end up in canals, water reservoirs, and drainage. Eventually, they clog natural and artificial drainage systems thereby causing floods. Most towns and cities in the third world face flooding caused by drainage problems.

5. Plastic creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes

Related to the previous point, plastics prevent the flow of water creating pools that are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Malaria is a serious disease that is associated with a type of mosquito. Recent research has shown that mosquitoes feed on microplastics. As animals higher in the food chain feed on the mosquito, the microplastic is absorbed in their bodies.

6. Soil contamination could be attributed to plastics

The effects of plastic on soil are not as thoroughly studied as the effects of plastic on groundwater and marine contamination. Probably because the plastic on land is likely to find itself eventually in a water body. However, it is hypothesized that plastic on soil interferes with the normal development of plants and animals. China offers an interesting case study for studying the effect of plastic on soils as it has been using plastic materials in mulching since the 1970s.

White mulch usage in China is common
The use of white (plastic) mulch in China presents opportunities for understanding the effects of plastic contamination on soils (Source: The Scientist)

7. Marine Pollution is perhaps the biggest effect of plastic

Basic geography informs us that the planet is majorly water, especially oceans and seas. As such, marine pollution has serious repercussions on the global geochemical cycles. The material can degrade to have disastrous consequences for marine life. A marine scientist from Plymouth University coined the term microplastic that refers to the microscopic fragments of plastics that are consumed by aquatic creatures.

Plastic bags are among the top five items found in beach and river cleanups. It is estimated that between 10 and 20 million tons of plastic find their way into the oceans and seas every year. The Independent reports that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. Further, it is thought that 99% of all sea birds have consumed microplastics.

What is even more troubling is that the plastic would eventually be consumed by humans as food. The sea creatures consume the before mentioned microplastics, and some of the sea creatures are popular in human cuisine! In 2015 alone, 92.5 million tons of seafood was caught for human consumption.

8. Direct consumption of plastic kills animals too

It is estimated that 100 million marine life has died primarily because of plastic ingestion. Still, wild and domestic animals on land also eat plastic as they mistake it for food. When a considerable amount of plastic is stuck into an animals’ stomach, it prevents the animals from eating additional food. The sea turtle is notorious for mistaking plastic bags in the sea for jellyfish. Also, animals could get tangled and suffocate in plastic wastes.  

Animals ingest plastic that interferes with their digestive systems
A cross-section of a dead bird stomach showing the amount of plastic it consumed (source: reusethisbag.com)

9. Plastics contribute to climate change too!

The impacts of climate pollution do not end on interfering with plant and animal life. Plastics are also a major contributor to the problem of climate change. Greenhouse gases are emitted on each stage in the life cycle of plastic from its production, transportation, refining, and how it is handled as a waste product. By 2050, plastics alone could contribute up to 13% of the total greenhouse gases! 

Unlike climate change, there are no prominent deniers of plastic menace. Consequently, it should be relatively easy for mankind to reverse the global plastic pollution trend before the oceans turn to a big mass of plastic soup. The good thing is that some countries are taking action in implementing plastic bans and taxes. Nevertheless, more action is needed before we can irreversibly damage the planet.

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Read more on plastics

Plastic Bag Solution Facts

National Geographic

The Independent Article on Plastics

Forbes

The scientist

David Okul is an environmental management professional with over 10 years experience on donor projects, conservation, forestry, ecotourism, and community-based natural resources management. When not working on  active environmental management projects, I spend my time writing for Silvica on a variety of topics

The post Nine Reasons why Plastics are regarded as the Bad Boys of Global Pollution appeared first on Silvica: Blog for Sustainable Development .

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