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What impact does plastic have on our lives today?

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What impact does plastic have on our lives today?

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Elliot found this- 6CV

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Author: Gianna Andrews

This case study is part of a collection of pages developed by students in the 2012 introductory-level Geology and Human Health course in the Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University. Learn more about this project.

Over a few decades, humans have managed to dump tons upon tons of garbage into the ocean. Of the most devastating elements of this pollution is that plastics takes thousands of years to decay. As a result, fish and wildlife are becoming intoxicated. Consequently the toxins from the plastics have entered the food chain, threatening human health. In the most polluted places in the ocean, the mass of plastic exceeds the amount of plankton six times over. This is a large piece of evidence that leaves the problem of polluted oceans undeniable. It is upsetting that more of clean up effort is not taking place.

The Three Plastic Islands

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also know as the Pacific Trash Vortex or gyre, is located in the central North Pacific Ocean and is larger than the state of Texas. There are also garbage patches in the Indian and Atlantic ocean. The patches are defined as containing a higher amount of plastic as compared to surrounding oceans. To date, five patches in total have been discovered.

Plastics are transported and converge in the ocean where currents meet. This means that huge plastic islands are made as a result. SES (Sea Education Society) scientists studied plastics in the Atlantic and calculated there are 580,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometer.

Sources of Plastic Toxins Entering the Oceanic Food Chain

As far as plastic entering the ocean, about 20% of the trash comes from ships and platforms that are offshore. The rest sources from litter being blown into the sea, picked up by tides on the beach, or intentional garbage dumping. The worse part is, these plastics don't biodegrade, so they break up into tiny pieces that are consumed by fish and sea mammals. Plastic is killing more than 100,000 sea turtles and birds a year from ingestion and entanglement. To learn more visit Project Green Bag.

Chemicals in plastics are released into the water as well as the atmosphere. Fish easily become contaminated from the chemicals in the water. This is a direct link of how plastic chemicals enter the food chain. See Earth Times for more on this.

Plastics getting to Humans Impacting Health

Different plastics spread throughout the ocean. As Styrofoam breaks into smaller parts, polystyrene components in it sink lower in the ocean, so that the pollutant spreads throughout the sea column.

In fact, not only do the toxins in plastic affect the ocean, but acting like sponges, they soak up other toxins from outside sources before entering the ocean. As these chemicals are ingested by animals in the ocean, this is not good for humans. We as humans ingest contaminated fish and mammals.

For more information on this topic on toxins in the ocean, see this article by National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/8/plastic-breaks-down-in-ocean-after-all-and-fast/#:~:text=Though%20ocean%2Dborne%20plastic%20trash,that's%20not%20a%20good%20thing.

There are different types of ways that plastic is dangerous for humans. Direct toxicity from plastics comes from lead, cadmium, and mercury. These toxins have also been found in many fish in the ocean, which is very dangerous for humans. Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) contained in some plastics, is a toxic carcinogen. Other toxins in plastics are directly linked to cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and childhood developmental issues. To learn more on effects of plastics on humans visit the Ecology Center

Other types of toxic plastics are BPA or health-bisphenol-A, along with phthalates (mentioned above). Both of these are of great concern to human health. BPA is used in many things including plastic bottles and food packaging materials. Over time the polymer chains of BPA break down, and can enter the human body in many ways from drinking contaminated water to eating a fish that is exposed to the broken down toxins. Specifically, BPA is a known chemical that interferes with human hormonal function.

Rolf Halden, associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and Arizona State University has studied plastics adverse effects on humans and has thus far concluded that and exact outline of health effects of plastics on humans is almost impossible to determine. This is due to the fact that the problem of plastic contamination in humans is globally spread; there are almost no unexposed subjects. That being said, it is evident that the chemicals are not healthy for humans. To learn more about Halden's studies on plastic at Arizona State University see Impacts of plastics on human health and ecosystems

Prevention of Contamination

As Rolf Halden asserts, the only way for this unsustainable plastic production to decrease would be a global staggering petroleum supply, because of environmental worry. About 8% of the world's oil use is from manufacturing plastics.

There are efforts to protect the oceans from plastic pollutants along with human health, but they are mostly grassroots organizations. One in particular that I discovered during my research is Save My Oceans (http://www.savemyoceans.com/plastics.php-broken link) which anyone can become involved with.

As far as protecting yourself from contamination, it is probably best not to have a diet that consists mainly of fish, since most is probably contaminated. However, one of the most effective things we could all do as members of this fragile ecosystem is to be responsible for our trash. When we have the opportunity, we should try to avoid buying products packaged in plastic. We should always recycle plastic when we do use it. At the store, request a paper bag instead of plastic, or bring your own. Use a reusable water bottle, and of course don't litter.

The Role Humans Play

As quoted by UN Environment Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner,

"Marine debris - trash in our oceans - is a symptom of our throw-away society and our approach to how we use our natural resources."

Our tendency as humans to be irresponsible about cleaning up after ourselves is about to get us in trouble. We risk losing many species in the ocean as well as negatively affecting ourselves. The average person produces half a pound of plastic waste every day. No wonder the oceans are filling up with waste!

I think part of the problem is that we don't recognize how this issue starts with the individual. There are obviously life style changes we can make to solve this problem. We just have to be willing to accept this issue and look past our denial. The government also needs to make regulations on plastics if anything is going to change. Surprisingly, there is little to no information on governmental websites about pollution in the oceans. I think they are afraid to address the problem; it is a costly fix. However there have been some treaties formed to minimize the amount of trash entering the oceans. This is still not enough. To see more on EPA laws and treaties visit US Environmental Protection Agency. These grassroots organizations are vital then to the protection of the oceans, striving to get information out about this tragic pollution. We should really all be involved though, it is everyone's responsibility. Lets make these changes before it is too late and we kill the all oceanic life, or even our own.

Related Links

1. How Does Plastic Get Into The Ocean? Project Green Bag

I found this website helpful in describing the how marine waste has compiled into the different plastic islands.

2. Plastic Contamination in the Atlantic Ocean Earth Times, Kirsten E. Silven

This web article speaks specifically to the Atlantic garbage patch and plastic pollution in the ocean.

3. Plastic Breaks Down in Ocean, After All- And Fast National Geographic

An article discussing how plastic breaks down in the ocean and is ingested by sea birds, asserts that humans will as well be affected by the toxins.

4. Human Health Warning UN New Centre

This article provides useful information about the human tendency to waste and pollute and how it is affecting the planet and its species.

5. Adverse Health Effects of Plastics Ecology Center

Discussing the health impacts that plastics have on humans, this article discusses the dangers in different plastic chemicals.

6. Impacts of plastics on human health and ecosystems News Medical

7. http://www.projectgreenbag.com/news/how-does-plastic-get-into-the-ocean 'Project GreenBag'

This is an extensive article on research done by Rolf Halden and his concern for humans and the environment from our irresponsible use of plastic. I found it very compelling.

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teach the earth incorporating societal issues geology and health

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Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health

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Over a few decades, humans have managed to dump tons upon tons of garbage into the ocean. Of the most devastating elements of this pollution is that plastics takes thousands of years to decay. As a result, fish and wildlife are becoming intoxicated. Consequently the toxins from the plastics have entered the food chain, threatening human health.

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SuperMarkets in UK banding straws and plastic bags

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SuperMarkets in UK banding straws and plastic bags

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Elliot found this- 6CV

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Every major supermarket in Britain has today pledged to eradicate unnecessary single-use plastics by 2025, under a new "UK Plastics Pact".

The agreement, organised by Government-backed waste charity Wrap, is a world-leading collaborative effort by Britain's biggest consumer companies to tackle the scourge of plastic waste on the environment.

It means single-use plastics will only be allowed if they are deemed absolutely necessary and are made from recyclable materials.

Non-recyclable plastics including single-use 5p carrier bags, squeezy ketchup bottles, snap pots of yoghurt, and multi-bags of fruit and vegetables, could all be banned if they cannot be made recyclable.

It comes after Theresa May's recent commitment for the UK to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042 was accused of "lacking urgency" by environmental groups.

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Supermarkets agree to ban unnecessary single-use plastic packaging by 2025

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Every major supermarket in Britain has today pledged to eradicate unnecessary single-use plastics by 2025, under a new "UK Plastics Pact". The agreement, organised by Government-backed waste charity Wrap, is a world-leading collaborative effort by Britain's biggest consumer companies to tackle the scourge of plastic waste on the environment.

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- Thomas Found This

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Plastic isn't food, but fish seem to eat it anyway-to the confusion of many researchers. As the 9.5 billion tons of plastic the world has produced since the 1950s makes its way into the world's rivers, lakes, and oceans, the animal consumption of such waste has become a big problem. Yes, a lot of that plastic is tiny-roughly the size of fish food-so it's not a stretch to think that fish are simply confusing these morsels with plankton. But the fish that are apparently attracted to plastic are usually picky eaters.

"I've heard both scientists and nonscientists say that there's so much plastic out there that these animals sort of bump into it and consume it without thinking," says Matthew Savoca, a California Sea Grant State Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center. "But people who know about foraging behavior and study this sort of thing know that couldn't be further from the truth."

Savoca co-authored a recent study in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B that seeks to better understand why fish chow down on literal junk food. According to their findings, it may come down to smell. The work was influenced in part by a study Savoca worked on last year on marine birds.

In that study, researchers came to a malodorous conclusion by diving into sea bird data. They discovered that birds attracted to the smell of algae-specifically a compound called dimethyl sulfide-eat a lot more plastic than species that don't use those odor compounds to find food.

"Most of the animals that are eating plastic in the greatest quantities are what we call dietary specialists, they're really looking for very specific types of food," says Savoca.

The compound, which Savoca says smells like rotting seaweed, often emerges when algae cells walls die-like when zooplankton such as krill eat them. For some animals, the scent serves as a pungent signal that the plankton they love to eat are in the neighborhood.

Plastic doesn't smell like dimethyl sulfide on its own (rotting seaweed wouldn't sell many water bottles) but algae can infuse the material with this oceanic aroma. Algae like to attach to hard, smooth surfaces, and they float up near the air to collect sunlight-so they often hitch a ride on our garbage.

"It's like setting up a Petri dish for algae in the ocean," says Savoca.

In the new study, Savoca essentially wanted to ask an animal whether or not it cared for the smell of marine plastic debris. To do that, he turned to anchovies. They are known to eat plastic in the wild, and their relatively small size makes them easy to study.

It may not seem intuitive, but fish do use their sense of smell to help work their way around aqueous environments. Fish take in smells through tiny holes on their head that look like nostrils, called nares. Odors help fish avoid predators, find their way home, and, of course, search for food, just like a sense of smell helps animals on land. Anchovies generally go sniffing for zooplankton. They ignore pretty much everything else-dirt, rocks, fish parts-that they might come across.

But not plastic.

Because Savoca and his colleagues at the University of California Davis and Aquarium of the Bay couldn't actually ask the anchovies why they were eating plastic, they did the next best thing: They exposed the fish to five different aquatic conditions and observed their behavior.

In the first condition, the fish were exposed just to salt water, to see how they behave when there's not much happening in the tank.

In the second condition, Savoca and his colleagues fed the anchovies zooplankton.

"Typically, they keep a pattern of schooling that's really consistent throughout, equal spacing, they're positioned facing into the oncoming flow of water, that sort of thing," says Savoca. "But when there's food in the tank they all clump around the interesting stimulus-in this case food-and just dart back and forth trying to interact with as many different food morsels as they can."

Savoca likens that experiment to feeding a room of hungry people pizza and watching how they behave.

In the next condition, they injected the smell of krill into the tank. They did so by soaking krill in salt water for a few hours, filtering out the plankton themselves, and injecting the remaining salt water into the tank.

"This would be like if you had a hungry person in the room and you piped in the smell of delicious pizza," says Savoca. "The person might start looking around, they might start salivating, they might start getting antsy. That's kind of what we saw the fish doing. They responded kind of like they were feeding, but less intensely. They clumped together, they started darting around basically searching for food that wasn't there."

In the next experiment, researchers injected the smell of clean plastic into the tank in much the same way that they injected the krill scent. They soaked a piece of plastic in salt water for a few hours, then injected the treated salt water into the tank.

Nothing happened. The anchovies behaved the same way they did under the control condition.

Finally, Savoca and his colleagues took a piece of plastic that had been soaking in the ocean for a month and injected that odor into the tank. The anchovies acted a lot like they did when they detected the smell of krill: they clumped and darted around to try to find the source of the interesting smell.

"It was surprising how responsive these fish were to non-food odors," says Savoca. "Sometimes in scientific studies you have to do some kind of fancy analysis to see if there was an actual effect. But anecdotally you could see, when you pumped in these certain odors, 'oh wow, these fish are responding,' or 'oh no, they're not.'"

In other words, something happens to plastic in water that turns it from junk into junk food. The problem is that plastic, unlike food waste, never biodegrades. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments that linger in the environment indefinitely. The lack of nutrition for hungry fish isn't the only problem, either: plastic in the ocean also attracts a host of toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which can affect human brain development, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can cause cancer in humans. Small fish eat the plastic, and then they're eaten by humans-or they're eaten by larger fish, and then those are consumed by humans. Increasingly, we're eating our own toxic waste.

Savoca's study sheds some light on why the fish are behaving this way, but if we want it to stop we have to shift our own behaviors. Savoca posits that perhaps plastic manufacturers could use biodegradable materials, or perhaps find a way to alter the surface of their products to make them less hospitable to algae. Of course, just using less plastic in general would also be a great start. Here are 12 ways you can help make that happen.

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Why fish can't help but eat our plastic garbage

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Plastic isn't food, but fish seem to eat it anyway-to the confusion of many researchers. As the 9.5 billion tons of plastic the world has produced since the 1950s makes its way into the world's rivers, lakes, and oceans, the animal consumption of such waste has become a big problem.

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This is our MTR grid

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-Chirag Found This

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California.
PLASTIC ACCUMULATION

It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. More than half of this plastic is less dense than the water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea.

1.15 to 2.41 million metric tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year.

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The stronger, more buoyant plastics show resiliency in the marine environment, allowing them to be transported over extended distances. They persist at the sea surface as they make their way offshore, transported by converging currents and finally accumulating in the patch.

Once these plastics enter the gyre, they are unlikely to leave the area until they degrade into smaller microplastics under the effects of sun, waves and marine life. As more and more plastics are discarded into the environment, microplastic concentration in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will only continue to increase.

ESTIMATION OF SIZE

The GPGP covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an estimated surface of 1.6 million square kilometers

To formulate this number, the team of scientists behind this research conducted the most elaborate sampling method ever coordinated.

This consisted of a fleet of 30 boats, 652 surface nets and two flights over the patch to gather aerial imagery of the debris.

Sampling at different locations within the same time period allowed a more accurate estimate of the size of the patch and the plastic drifting in it.

LOCATION

Due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, the GPGP's location and shape are constantly changing. Only floating objects that are predominantly influenced by currents and less by winds were likely to remain within the patch.

By simulating concentration levels in the North Pacific, the researchers were able to follow the location of the patch, demonstrating significant seasonal and interannual variations. On average the patch orbits around 32°N and 145°W. However, the team observed seasonal shift from west to east and substantial variations in latitude (North to South) depending on the year.

The Ocean Cleanup is currently cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with System 03.

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Help fund our scale-up and let's make the Great Pacific Garbage Patch a thing of the past

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At the time of sampling, there were more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch that weigh an estimated 100,000 tonnes. These figures are much higher than previous calculations.
TOTAL MASS AND COUNT

100'000 tonnes of plastic float in the GPGP, equivalent to over 740 Boeing 777's

The mass of the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) was estimated to be approximately 100,000 tonnes, which is 4-16 times more than previous calculations. This weight is also equivalent to more than 740 Boeing 777s.

4 to 16 times more plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch than Previously Estimated

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The center of the GPGP has the highest density and the further boundaries are the least dense.

A total of 1.8 trillion plastic pieces were estimated to be floating in the patch - a plastic count that is equivalent to 250 pieces of debris for every human in the world.

Using a similar approach as they did when figuring the mass, the team chose to employ conservative estimations of the plastic count. While 1.8 trillion is a mid-range value for the total count, their calculations estimated that it may be range from 1.1 to up to 3.6 trillion pieces.

Concentration

Using data from multiple reconnaissance missions, a mass concentration model was produced to visualize the plastic distribution in the patch.

The mass concentration model, pictured below, shows how the concentration levels gradually decrease by orders of magnitude towards the outside boundaries of the GPGP. The center concentration levels contain the highest density, reaching 100s of kg/km² while decreasing down to 10 kg/km² in the outermost region.

These results prove that plastic pollution at sea, while densely distributed within the patch, is scattered and does not form a solid mass, thus demystifying the trash island concept.

Vertical distribution

The Ocean Cleanup measured the vertical distribution of plastic during six expeditions between 2013 to 2015. Results from these expeditions proved that the buoyant plastic mass is distributed within the top few meters of the ocean.,

Factors such as wind speed, sea state, and plastic buoyancy will influence vertical mixing. However, buoyant plastic will eventually float back to the surface in calmer seas. Larger pieces were observed to resurface much more rapidly than smaller pieces.

Persistency

Characteristics of the debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, such as plastic type and age, prove that plastic has the capacity to persist in this region.

Plastic in the patch has also been measured since the 1970's and the calculations from subsequent years show that microplastic mass concentration is increasing exponentially - proving that the input of plastic in the patch is greater than the output. Unless sources are mitigated, this number will continue to rise.

The vast majority of plastics retrieved were made of rigid or hard polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), or derelict fishing gear (nets and ropes particularly). Ranging in size from small fragments to larger objects and meter-sized fishing nets.

Size classes

Plastic within the patch was categorized into four size classes:
- Microplastics (0.05 - 0.5 cm)
- Mesoplastics (0.5 - 5 cm)
- Macroplastics (5 - 50 cm)
- Megaplastics (anything above 50 cm)

92% of the total mass is made of debris larger than 5mm

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When accounting for the total mass, 92% of the debris found in the patch consists of objects larger than 0.5 cm, and three-quarters of the total mass is made of macro- and mega plastic. However, in terms of object count, 94% of the total is represented by microplastics.

Categorization types

75% to 86% of GPGP Plastics Comes from Fishing Activities

Once the plastics were collected, a team of volunteers classified the plastic into:
- Type H: Hard plastic, plastic sheet or film;
- Type N: Plastic lines, ropes, and fishing nets;
- Type P: Pre-production plastics (cylinders, spheres or disks);
- Type F: Fragments made of foamed materials

These plastic types were then screened for clues on age and origin. This was performed by examining each object for dates, languages, trademarks, symbols or 'made in' statements.

Why large debris matter

Because the plastics have been shown to persist in this region, they will likely break down into smaller plastics while floating in the GPGP.

This deterioration into microplastics is usually the result of sun exposure, waves, marine life, and temperature changes. Microplastics have been discovered floating within the water surface layers, but also in the water column or as far down as the ocean floor.

Once they become this small, microplastics are very difficult to remove and are often mistaken for food by marine animals.

Not only does plastic pollution in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch pose risks for the safety and health of marine animals, but there are health and economic implications for humans as well.

Impact on wildlife

Plastic has increasingly become a ubiquitous substance in the ocean. Due to its size and color, animals confuse the plastic for food, causing malnutrition; it poses entanglement risks and threatens their overall behavior, health, and existence.

84% of samples contained toxic chemicals

Studies have shown that about 900 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these interactions are with plastic. 17% of the species affected by plastic are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.

Toxic for Sea Surface Feeders

180X more plastic than food at the surface of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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Floating at the surface of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is 180x more plastic than marine life. Animals migrating through or inhabiting this area are then likely consuming plastic in the patch. For example, sea turtles by-caught in fisheries operating within and around the patch can have up to 74% (by dry weight) of their diets composed of ocean plastics. Laysan albatross chicks from Kure Atoll and Oahu Island have around 45% of their wet mass composed of plastics from surface waters of the GPGP.

Since 84% of this plastic was found to have at least one Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic (PBT) chemical, animals consuming this debris are therefore ingesting the chemicals attached to the plastic.
Entanglement of Marine Life
Fishing nets account for 46% of the mass in the GPGP and they can be dangerous for animals who swim or collide into them and cannot extract themselves from the net. Interaction with these discarded nets, also known as ghost nets , often results in the death of the marine life involved.

Impact on Humans and Society

Once plastic enters the marine food web, there is a possibility that it will contaminate the human food chain as well. Efforts to clean and eradicate ocean plastic have also caused significant financial burdens.

Plastic pollution costs 13B dollars per year.

Affects the Human Foodchain

Through a process called bioaccumulation, chemicals in plastics will enter the body of the animal feeding on the plastic, and as the feeder becomes prey, the chemicals will pass to the predator - making their way up the food web that includes humans. These chemicals that affected the plastic feeders could then be present within the human as well.

Affects the Economy

According to a study conducted in collaboration with Deloitte, yearly economic costs due to marine plastic are estimated to be between $6-19bn USD. The costs stem from its impact on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, and (governmental) cleanups. These costs do not include the impact on human health and the marine ecosystem (due to insufficient research available). This means that intercepting plastic in rivers is much more cost-effective than dealing with the consequences downstream. Learn more in our interactive map.

Resulting from several research missions, traveling across and above the GPGP, The Ocean Cleanup team compiled an unprecedented amount of data to better understand the plastic that persists in this region.

Boyan Slat - The New Picture of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (2018)

Research Expeditions

"To accurately quantify a problem of the size, we had to do research at a scale that had never been done before" - Boyan Slat

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Scientists have been studying this area since the 1970's - usually by means of dragging a small sampling net through the debris. This method showed a bias towards smaller objects and did not provide much insight into the larger pieces, and, thus, the entire scope of the GPGP.

Over the course of three years, researchers at The Ocean Cleanup went on several data collection missions. This included the Multi-Level-Trawl expedition, where they analyzed the depth at which buoyant plastic debris may be vertically distributed; the Mega Expedition using vessels to cross the patch with many trawls at once; and the Aerial Expedition which involved the use of a plane flying at low altitude to observe the debris from above.

2015 - Multi-Level-Trawl Expedition

Realizing that previous methods of analyzing the plastic in the patch needed improvement, The Ocean Cleanup designed a new research tool, called the multi-level-trawl, which allowed measurements of 11 water layers simultaneously going as far down as 5 meters below surface level. This trawl was then used in the Vertical Distribution Research.

The multi-level-trawl allowed the team to study further down into the water and understand to which depths buoyant plastic may be distributed. Through these studies, it was observed that buoyant plastic floats primarily in the first few meters of the water.

2015 - Mega Expedition

In 2015, 30 vessels and 652 surface nets, in parallel, crossed the GPGP as part of the Mega Expedition.
Numerous vessel owners offered the use of their ships for the mission. Of those ships, many carried behind them a Manta-trawl; including one mothership, the 171ft long Ocean Starr, which was able to carry two 6-meter-wide trawls and a survey balloon.

The fleet returned with over 1.2 million plastic samples that rendered an unprecedented amount of plastic measurements from the three months of study. Scientists present on the expedition noted that there was an alarming amount of plastic floating in the patch, and their preliminary findings indicated that there were more large objects than originally expected.

2016 - Aerial Expedition

After the Mega Expedition, the team wanted to learn more about these large plastic pieces that were difficult to come by. Megaplastics are more scattered than the smaller plastics, and, to study this important aspect of the patch, the team needed to cover an even larger area.

Using a C-130 Hercules aircraft, The Ocean Cleanup surveyed 311 km² with advanced sensors and an RGB camera (CS-4800i) that captured one photo every second of flight time. They took two flights and came back with over 7,000 single frame mosaics from the mission.

Ocean Research Laboratory

Once the ocean plastic was brought back to the Netherlands, it then needed to be counted, classified and analyzed.

Counting and Classifying

The first step in analyzing the plastic was to quantify it - to turn this physical matter into data.

Every piece of plastic that was recovered was cleaned, counted and classified by size and type. In total, 1.2 million plastic samples were counted, one by one, and were used to further study the physical properties and toxicity of the plastic that floats in the GPGP.

The Research team takes on the monumental task of counting and classifying the Mega Expedition samples.

Understanding Physical Properties

Not only is the size and count of the plastic in the GPGP important to calculate, but the way in which the plastic interacts in the water helps the team learn more about the buoyancy and depths of the plastic.

To test this, various experiments were performed on the plastic in environments that were intended to replicate oceanic conditions and particularly salinity. Laboratory tests were conducted to measure the vertical speed of the plastic as it resurfaces.

More than 4000 rising speed tests to understand how plastic particles behave in the water.

Understanding Toxicity

It is commonly known that harmful PBT (Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic) chemicals are found in ocean plastics, so researchers at The Ocean Cleanup tested plastic samples from the expeditions for their chemical levels. Their results helped them to realize what chemicals are present in the patch and what that means for animals feeding there.

Plastics ranging from various type and size were analyzed by placing them in mixtures that would allow the various chemicals to be identified. A process known as Chromatography. They found through various tests that 84% of the plastics in the GPGP contain at least one type of PBT chemical.

Ocean Plastic Data Science

Numerous computational and mathematical processes and methods were used throughout the study of the GPGP, allowing the team to visualize and characterize many features of the patch and the plastic within it.

Turning Ocean Plastic into Data

When the manta trawls samples were captured and then brought on the vessel, several criteria were noted in the datasheets, including the date, duration, and final coordinates of each tow.

With this information, the team was able to identify the exact location where the plastic was retrieved. The location and duration of all tows were confirmed during a post-processing phase by inspecting all the recorded datasheets against GPS trackers that were installed on all participating vessels. The total distance of tows, for example, combined with the net's characteristics allowed the researchers to estimate the total surveyed surface.

Process Aerial Expedition Data

Aboard the C-130 Hercules aircraft used for the Aerial Expedition were three types of sensors: Lidar (an advanced active sensor that is similar to that used on Google's autonomous cars), SWIR imager (an infrared camera to detect ocean plastic) and an RGB camera.

There were 3 sensor technicians, 7 navigation personnel and 10 researchers who helped track the plastic from above and monitor the equipment on board.

The data from this expedition were then analyzed and processed resulting in multispectral and geo-referenced imagery that was used to screen the surface area for plastic by trained observers and a machine-learning algorithm, providing spatial distribution of larger debris (>0.5m).

A Key to Convert Pixels into Kilograms

The mass of the plastic debris in the GPGP was calculated using imagery from the Aerial Expedition. By comparing the top view surface against dry mass of multiple objects collected during the first expedition at sea, including ghost nets, the team was able to make these estimations.

Merge all the Data into Comprehensive Computer Models

The data and imagery gathered from these objectives were eventually used by our team of computational modelers to build various models and computer-generated graphics. These served as a visual representation of the studies and tests that had been performed during the expeditions.

Research of this nature is crucial when understanding the many facets of the GPGP. These models have helped the engineers at The Ocean Cleanup to further improve the design of the cleanup system, which was deployed mid-2018.

We also use modeling to identify the pathways that bring plastic to the gyres. In 2022 our researchers published a new study based on over 6000 plastic objects (over 5 cm in size) captured in the GPGP by our System 001/B cleaning system in 2019. We then compared our field observations with our 'virtual particle' modeling results, allowing us to see the most statistically probable sources of GPGP plastic.

This indicated that over 75% of plastics in the GPGP - not only the 46% made up of fishing nets, as we discovered in 2018 - are attributable to offshore fishing activities. More research will be required in order to discover if this also applies to the other garbage patches around the world.

Learn more

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch * The Ocean Cleanup

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world and is located between Hawaii and California. Scientists of The Ocean Cleanup Foundation have conducted the most extensive analysis ever of this area.

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- Harry Found This

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- Harry Found This

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Dead Sperm Whale Found Dead Because Of Ocean Pollution

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Dead Sperm Whale Found Dead Because Of Ocean Pollution

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- Harry Found This

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Scientists have discovered 29 kilos of plastic in the stomach of a sperm whale, which washed up on the southern coast of Spain in February.

During an autopsy of the 10-metre-long male whale, experts from the El Valle Wildlife Recovery Center uncovered plastic bags, a jerry can, and several pieces of rope and net.

After full examination, the experts agreed that the sperm whale had died because it could not expel the plastic it had swallowed.

They theorised that the blockage in the whale's digestive system caused an infection of the abdomen, called peritonitis, that ultimately resulted in the mammal's death.

As shocking as the discovery is, it's really not. When over 8 million tons of plastic enter the world's oceans every yea r, it's no coincidence that 29 kilos of it show up in the stomach of a sperm whale.

#MedioAmbiente lanza una #campaña para concienciar sobre el peligro de las #basurasmarinas para la #Fauna Ejemplo: La necropsia de un #Cachalote varado 🐋 detectó en su aparato digestivo 29 kg de basura 😢#StopBasurasMarinas #Concienciación ♻️+inf: https://t.co/mLjhNreLlx pic.twitter.com/dqejUXFkWS
- EspaciosNaturalesMur (@EspNaturalesMur) April 4, 2018

Since the results of the autopsy, the whale's death has spurred the government in Murcia, Spain to launch an awareness campaign on the dangers of single use plastics.

"The presence of plastics in seas and oceans is one of the greatest threats to the conservation of wildlife throughout the world, since many animals are trapped in the trash or ingest large amounts of plastics that end up causing their death," said Consuelo Rosauro, director-general of the natural environment in the Murcian government.

"The region of Murcia is no stranger to this problem, which we must tackle through clean-up actions and, above all, citizen awareness."

Just a month ago, a scientific team reported that 79,000 tons of plastic debris now occupy an area in the Pacific Ocean about three times the size of France.

By 2050, it's predicted there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans.

Keeping these facts in mind, it should come as no surprise that the Murcia sperm whale has good company. There are myriad examples of whales washing up on the beach with stomachs full of plastic - plastic that can contain toxic substances like heavy metals.

But thanks to David Attenborough, humans are starting to pay attention. Footage from the show Blue Planet II, which featured a whale calf dying from plastic pollution, has encouraged many to give up single-use plastics - including the Queen of England, the Scottish Parliament and the BBC.

As the voice of the series, Attenborough warned viewers that "unless the flow of plastics into the world's oceans is reduced, marine life will be poisoned by them for many centuries to come."

And the good news is, the war on single-use plastics is working.

A recent report from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) found that measures to reduce plastic use have a direct impact on ocean ecosystems.

For instance, small charges on plastic bags at supermarkets have led to an 80 percent drop in plastic bag use across England.

"It is encouraging to see that efforts by all of society, whether the public, industry, NGOs or government to reduce plastic bags are having an effect," Dr Thomas Maes, a marine litter scientist at Cefas and the report's lead author, told The Independent.

If humans, corporations and governments can continue to mobilise around environmental issues like single-use plastics, the future of ocean ecosystems could turn from grim to hopeful.

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A Sperm Whale Found Dead in Spain Had 29 Kilos of Plastic in Its Stomach

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Scientists have discovered 29 kilos of plastic in the stomach of a sperm whale, which washed up on the southern coast of Spain in February. During an autopsy of the 10-metre-long male whale, experts from the El Valle Wildlife Recovery Center uncovered plastic bags, a jerry can, and several pieces of rope and net.

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This is about the facts on how animals are affected and how the ocean actually looks like on most countries.
- Thomas & Chirag Found This

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Covering more than 70 percent of our planet, oceans are among the earth's most valuable natural resources. They govern the weather, clean the air, help feed the world, and provide a living for millions. They also are home to most of the life on earth, from microscopic algae to the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet. Yet we're bombarding them with pollution. By their very nature-with all streams flowing to rivers, and all rivers leading to the sea-the oceans are the end point for so much of the pollution we produce on land, however far from the coasts we may be. And from dangerous carbon emissions and choking plastic to leaking oil and constant noise, the types of ocean pollution that humans generate are vast. As a result, collectively, our impact on the seas is degrading their health at an alarming rate. Here are some ocean pollution facts that everyone on our blue planet ought to know.

Ocean acidification

When we burn fossil fuels, we don't pollute just the air but the oceans too. Indeed, today's seas absorb as much as a quarter of all man-made carbon emissions, which changes the pH of surface waters and leads to acidification (pH is a measure of how acidic or basic water is). This problem is rapidly worsening-oceans are now acidifying faster than they have in some 300 million years. In absorbing so much of the carbon emissions from the atmosphere, the pH level of the ocean surface has increased an estimated 30 percent since the start of the industrial revolution 200 years ago. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the surface waters of the ocean could be nearly 150 percent more acidic by the end of the century.

So what happens when the ocean's chemistry is knocked out of whack? Marine ecosystems-and the coastal economies that depend on them-go out of whack too. Take reefs and shellfish, for starters. To build their shells and skeletons, creatures like mussels, clams, coral, and oysters require calcium carbonate (the same compound found in chalk and limestone). But the ocean's carbonate levels go down when acidity levels rise, threatening the survival of these animals. Bivalves are at the bottom of the food chain, so these effects ripple up to many fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. More-acidic waters also contribute to the bleaching of coral reefs and make it harder for some types of fish to sense predators and for others to hunt prey.

Meanwhile, ocean acidification threatens us land dwellers too. The billion-dollar American shellfish industry is the economic backbone of myriad coastal communities, from Louisiana to Maryland to Maine. In the Pacific Northwest, the shellfish that are vulnerable to ocean acidification make up more than 60 percent of the fishery revenue. In total, the U.S. shellfish industry could lose more than $400 million annually by 2100 due to impacts of ocean acidification.

Trash in the ocean

The majority of the garbage that enters the ocean each year is plastic-and here to stay. That's because unlike other trash, the single-use plastic bags, water bottles, drinking straws, and yogurt containers, totalling some eight million metric tons of the plastic waste we toss (instead of recycling), won't biodegrade. Instead, they can persist in the environment for a millennium, polluting our beaches, entangling marine life, and getting ingested by fish, whales, turtles, and seabirds.

The most infamous example of marine debris is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. But these patches (which are more like " soups") represent only a fraction of the trash in our oceans. In fact, plastic debris has been found at the bottom of the deepest ocean trench.

Where does all this debris originate? While some is dumped directly into the seas, 80 percent of marine litter makes its way there gradually from land-based sources―including those far inland―via storm drains, sewers, and other routes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Oil from boats, airplanes, cars, trucks, and even lawn mowers is contributing to water pollution circulating in ocean waters. (An excellent reason for why we should all reduce plastic pollution, no matter where we live.) Chemical discharges from factories, raw sewage overflow from water treatment systems, and stormwater and agricultural runoff add other forms of marine-poisoning pollutants to the toxic brew, contributing to algal blooms and aquatic dead zones.

Ocean noise

The ocean is far from being a " silent world." Sound waves travel farther and faster in the sea's dark depths than they do in the air, and many marine mammals like whales and dolphins, in addition to fish and other sea creatures, rely on communication by sound to find food, mate, and navigate. But an increasing barrage of human-generated ocean noise pollution is altering the underwater acoustic landscape, harming-and even killing-marine species worldwide.

Consider the incessant din of the roughly 60,000 commercial tanker and container ships that ply the seas at any given time. The underwater racket that results creates a kind of "smog" that reaches nearly every corner of the ocean and shrinks the sensory range of marine wildlife. High-intensity sonar used by the U.S. Navy for testing and training causes some of the same effects-and has been linked to mass whale strandings.

Meanwhile, in the hunt for offshore oil and gas, ships equipped with high-powered airguns fire compressed air into the water every 10 to 12 seconds for weeks to months on end. Traveling as far as 2,500 miles, these deafening seismic blasts disrupt foraging, mating, and other vital behaviors of endangered whales (and may ultimately push some, such as the North Atlantic right whale, to extinction). The blasts lead some commercial fish species to abandon their habitat-a direct hit on coastal economies dependent on catch rates; they also injure and kill marine invertebrates, including scallops, crabs, and squid.

Offshore drilling

In addition to noise pollution, the oil and gas industry's routine operations emit toxic by-products, release high levels of greenhouse gases, and lead to thousands of spills in U.S. waters annually. That oil can linger for decades and do irreversible damage to delicate marine ecosystems. Take the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound, from which oil still remains, or the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling disaster, which spread millions of gallons of oil throughout the Gulf of Mexico, imposing a heavy toll on coastal communities. But smaller spills also pollute the ocean (and the air) with long-lasting impacts. Even the most advanced cleanup efforts remove only a fraction of the oil, and sometimes they use hazardous technologies. Chemical dispersants used in the largest spill response efforts-1.8 million gallons were released into the Gulf after the BP disaster-are dangerous pollutants themselves.

NRDC works to defend our oceans

From the earliest days of NRDC's founding, we've advocated-and litigated-to protect the world's oceans. As political tides changed in Congress and the White House, NRDC has been steadfast in our defense of policies that protect marine species, as well as coastal communities and their ocean-based economies. In addition to advocating for climate policies that will ensure the health of marine ecosystems, NRDC has played a key role in halting offshore drilling and seismic blasting in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, in the creation of the Atlantic's first marine national monument, and in the push for more sustainable, ethical seafood. Today, we're part of a growing coalition calling for governments to fully and highly protect at least 30 percent of our oceans by 2030 (part of what's known as " 30x30 ") to help safeguard the marine ecosystems and fisheries that provide food, jobs, and cultural sustenance to billions around the world.

Ocean pollution and you

The fate of our seas is not only up to the government or industry. Our individual, daily actions matter too. You can start by reducing water pollution and runoff at home, being more mindful of your plastic consumption, or organizing a cleanup of your local waterway. You can also support the work of NRDC and other environmental advocacy groups as well as businesses and organizations that work to preserve our coasts and waters.
This story was originally published on January 22, 2018, and has been updated with new information and links.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can't resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can't republish our material wholesale or automatically-you need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should to let us know when you've used one of our stories.

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Ocean pollution in the form of fossil fuels, trash, offshore drilling, and noise is harming marine life. Learn what you can do to reduce harm to our oceans.

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- Chirag Found This

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The ocean remains one of the most expansive, mysterious and diverse places on Earth. Unfortunately, it is being threatened by pollution from people on land and natural causes. Marine life is dying, and as a result, the whole oceanic ecosystem is threatened simply by various sources of pollution. If we are to preserve the ocean and its natural beauty, drastic measures have to be taken to combat this pollution and keep what we hold most dear.

Before, it was assumed that because the ocean was so big, vast and deep, that the effects of dumping trash and litter into the sea would only have minimal consequences. But as we have seen, this has proven not to be the case. While all five oceans have suffered as a result of human consequence for over millennia by now, it has accelerated in the past few decades. Oil spills, toxic wastes, floating plastic and various other factors have all contributed to the pollution of the ocean.

Wikipedia defines ocean pollution as,

" Marine pollution occurs when harmful, or potentially harmful, effects result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise, or the spread of invasive organisms. Most sources of marine pollution are land-based. The pollution often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff, wind-blown debris and dust."

Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.

~ Jacques Cousteau

"Did you know that approximately 1.4 billion pounds of trash per year enter the ocean?" Source: NOAA

35 Surprising Facts About Ocean Pollution

Simply put, the ocean cannot continue to thrive as a dumpsite for people. While the state of the ocean's pollution may not come as any sort of surprise to many people, the following cold hard facts might:

Fact 1: Plastic is the most common element that is found in the ocean. It is harmful to the environment as it does not get break down easily and is often mistaken as food by marine animals.

Fact 2: At least 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. That's similar to emptying a garbage truck of plastic into an ocean every minute.

Fact 3: Plastic pollution is one of the most serious threats to the ocean. Plastic does not degrade; instead, it breaks down into progressively smaller pieces, known as microplastic (smaller than 5 mm) by sun exposure and wave action. Then it can find its way into the food chain but never disappears.

Plastic debris can absorb toxic chemicals from ocean pollution, therefore poisoning whatever eats it. It poses a significant health threat to the various sea creatures and the entire marine ecosystem.

Fact 4: There is more microplastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way.

Fact 5: Over 100,000 marine animals die every year from plastic entanglement and ingestion. More than 50 percent of sea turtles have consumed plastic.

Fact 6: There's so much junk at sea that the debris has formed giant garbage patches. The term "garbage patch" is a large area actually made up of debris ranging in size, from microplastics to large bundles of derelict fishing gear and other marine debris collects.

These patches are formed by large, rotating ocean currents called gyres that pull debris into one location, often to the gyre's center. The debris forming garbage patches can be found from the surface of the ocean all the way to the ocean floor.

Fact 7: There are five gyres in the ocean, one in the Indian Ocean, two in the Atlantic Ocean, and two in the Pacific Ocean. The largest is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Fact 8: There is an island of garbage twice the size of Texas inside the Pacific Ocean: the North Pacific Gyre off the coast of California includes an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of trash. There, the number of floating plastic pieces outnumbers total marine life by six to one in the immediate vicinity.

Fact 9: In fact, plastic is the number one source of pollution in the ocean. When plastic eventually degrades, which is around 400 years for most plastic, the process releases chemicals that further contaminate the sea.

Fact 10: Plastic in the ocean comes from China and Indonesia more than anywhere else, and they account for one-third of plastic pollution. In fact, 80% of plastic pollution comes from just 20 countries, including the United States.

Fact 11: The biggest source of pollution in the ocean is directly from land-based sources, such as oil, dirt, septic tanks, farms, ranches, motor vehicles, among larger sources. Thousands of tons of waste and trash are dumped into the ocean on a daily basis.

Fact 12: Over one million seabirds are killed by ocean pollution each year. Three hundred thousand dolphins and porpoises die each year as a result of becoming entangled in discarded fishing nets, among other items. One hundred thousand sea mammals are killed in the ocean by pollution each year.

Fact 13: Even though mostly the trash and waste dumped into the ocean is released hundreds of miles away from land, it still washes up on beaches and coastal areas, and affects everything in between. Every marine animal is affected by man-made chemicals released in the water.

Fact 14: Oil is the fastest source of deterioration to the ocean, being far more harmful than trash and waste. However, only a small percentage of oil (around 12%) dumped in the ocean comes as a result of actual oil spills. Most oil causing harm in the ocean is a result of drainage from the land.

Fact 15: Oil spills suffocate marine life to death, and leads to behavioral changes and a breakdown in thermal insulation to those that do survive. It essentially changes the entire ecosystem of an affected area, such as a long coastline or deep ocean.

Fact 16: Toxic metals can destroy biochemistry, behavior, reproduction, and growth in marine life.

Fact 17: Microfibers also cause much pollution. With each load of laundry, more than 700,000 synthetic microfibers are washed into our waterways. Unlike natural materials such as cotton or wool, these synthetic microfibers make up as much as 85 percent of all beach trash that do not break down.

Fact 18: Not all sources of contamination in the ocean come from just oil, trash and solid wastes. The dumping of radioactive waste from nuclear reactors, industrial race (such as heavy metals and acids), and drained sewage are also heavy contributors to pollution.

Fact 19: Littering causes pollution in the ocean, which also causes a substantial loss of life beneath the seas. The truth is that billions of tons of litter end up in the ocean each year, and it is substantially more than the 250 million tons of trash generated. This has led to a gradual loss in marine life and an increase in the number of endangered species.

Fact 20: There is also much noise in the ocean. Noise pollution created by shipping and military activity can cause cellular damage to a class of invertebrates that includes jellyfish and anemones. These animals are a major food source for tuna, sharks, sea turtles and other creatures.

Fact 21: Sewage leads to the decomposition of organic matter that, in turn, leads to a change in biodiversity. Even if the ocean's ecosystem isn't destroyed entirely, it is still changed drastically, and often not for the better.

Fact 22: Fertilizer runoff creates eutrophication that flourishes algal bloom in aquatic systems. Harmful algal blooms (HABs), also known as " red tides," grow rapidly and produce toxic effects that can affect marine life and sometimes even humans, which depletes the oxygen content in the water that affects marine life.

Fact 23: In several parts of the world, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Baltic Sea, Eutrophication has created enormous dead zones that can result in mass die-offs of fish and other marine life, making those zones impossible for marine or plant life.

Fact 24: The dead zones are growing in number. In 2004, scientists counted 146 hypoxia or dead zones, areas of such low oxygen concentration that animal life suffocates and dies, in the world's oceans. By 2008, that number increased to 405. In 2017, in the Gulf of Mexico, oceanographers detected the largest dead zone ever measured, nearly the size of New Jersey.

Fact 25: Small animals at the bottom of the food chain absorb the chemicals as part of their food. These small animals are then eaten by larger animals that again increase the concentration of chemicals. Animals at the top of the hierarchy of the food chain have contamination levels millions of times higher than the water in which they live.

Fact 26: People get contaminated easily by eating contaminated seafood that can cause serious health problems, from cancer to damage to the immune system.

Fact 27: The ocean pollution is more common in waters more than 2,000 feet deep, with the most common plastic bags, metal cans, fishing equipment, glass bottles, shoes, tires, etc.

Fact 28: The garbage like plastic bottles, aluminum cans, shoes, packaging material - if not disposed of correctly, can reach the sea, and the same garbage can again reach the seashore where it pollutes beaches and affects the local tourism industry.

Fact 29: Salty water of the ocean has the capability to move pollutants from the ocean to coastal freshwater, making wells and groundwater contaminated.

Fact 30: Chemicals from industries and mines can also enter the ocean through land-based activities. They can seep through soil, water or land either during their manufacture, use or accidental leaks. From soil, water or land, they can enter into ocean currents and can travel longer distances.

Fact 31: As 70% of the earth is covered with water, people actually assumed that all pollutants would be diluted and get disappeared. But in reality, they have not disappeared, and their effects can be easily seen as they have entered the food chain.

Fact 32: Until the 1970s, the chemicals and garbage were deliberately dumped into the oceans and became common practice for disposing of everything, including pesticides and radioactive waste, assuming that it would get dissolved to safe levels.

Fact 33: Till today, in many parts of the world, sewage water is discharged in the ocean - untreated or under-treated. This can have a serious effect on marine and human life and can also lead to eutrophication.

Fact 34: We cannot see ocean pollution because most ocean trash sits on the bottom, and it may be worse. Almost 70 percent of ocean garbage actually sinks to the seafloor for which we're unlikely ever to be able to clean it up.

Fact 35: One effect of greenhouse emissions is increased ocean acidification, which makes the oceans lose mussel mass. It is becoming more difficult for bivalves such as mussels, clams and oysters to form shells, decreasing their likelihood of survival, upsetting the food chain and affecting the shellfish industry of multibillion-dollar.
References: National Geographic

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35 Surprising Facts About Ocean Pollution That Might Scare You - Conserve Energy Future

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The ocean remains one of the most expansive, mysterious and diverse places on Earth. Unfortunately, it is being threatened by pollution from people on land and natural causes. Marine life is dying, and as a result, the whole oceanic ecosystem is threatened simply by various sources of pollution.

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Most Marine Life animals Affected by Plastic Pollution 

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Most Marine Life animals Affected by Plastic Pollution 

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- Thomas Found This

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The role plastic products play in the daily lives of people all over the world is interminable. We could throw statistics at you all day long (e.g. Upwards of 300 MILLION tons of plastic are consumed each year), but the impact of these numbers border on inconceivable.

For those living on the coasts, a mere walk on the beach can give anyone insight into how staggering our addiction to plastic has become as bottles, cans, bags, lids and straws (just to name a few) are ever-present. In other areas that insight is more poignant as the remains of animal carcasses can frequently be observed; the plastic debris that many of them ingested or became entangled in still visible long after their death. Sadly, an overwhelming amount of plastic pollution isn't even visible to the human eye, with much of the pollution occurring out at sea or on a microscopic level.
LiveScience
The short-lived use of millions of tons of plastic is, quite simply, unsustainable and dangerous. We have only begun to see the far-reaching consequences of plastic pollution and how it affects all living things. According to a study from Plymouth University, plastic pollution affects at least 700 marine species, while some estimates suggest that at least 100 million marine mammals are killed each year from plastic pollution.

Here are some of the marine species most deeply impacted by plastic pollution.

1. Sea Turtles

Like many other marine animals, sea turtles mistake plastic waste for a viable food source, sometimes causing blockages in their digestive system. Though the declining sea turtle populations in the oceans are due to a variety of factors (most all of which involve human exploitation), plastic pollution plays a significant role.

Separate studies from 2013 suggest as many as 50 percent of sea turtles are ingesting plastic at an unprecedented rate, and dying because of it. Another study of the Loggerhead species found that 15 percent of young turtles examined had ingested such enormous quantities of plastic that their digestive system was obstructed.

2. Seals and Sea Lions

Marine life can become entangled in a variety of ocean debris including fishing nets, lines, and lures. Still, there are a number of seals and sea lions that become entangled in plastic bags or plastic packing bands leading to injury and death.

In fact, plastic packing bands and rubber bands continue to deeply impact the Steller Sea Lion population. An eight-year study in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia documented 388 sea lions entangled in plastic debris. These plastic packing bands and rubber bands can become so embedded in the animal that it can lead to severe infection and death.
Chris Jordan
3. Seabirds

Plastic pollution leads to the deaths of millions of marine bird species each year. Arguably more so than other birds, the Laysan albatross has been deeply impacted by plastic debris through their hunting techniques. When the albatross dives into the ocean to catch fish, squid or other food they use their beak to skim the surface, picking up plastic along the way.

Shockingly, an estimated 98 percent of albatross studied are found having ingested some kind of plastic debris. Once the plastic has been ingested, it causes an obstruction in the digestive tract and can puncture internal organs.

4. Fish

Fish, along with pretty much any marine mammal that brings in water through its gills, are increasingly at risk to microscopic plastic debris. A study performed at the University of Exeter UK suggested that microscopic marine debris could take up to six times as long for the animal to rid themselves of in comparison to ingesting the debris orally.

Of course plastic pollution deeply impacts species of fish, but unlike other animals on our list, this is the one animal that's also commonly eaten by humans. A number of studies suggest that the fish humans continue to consume have at one time or another ingested plastic microfibers, including brown trout, cisco, and perch.

5. Whales and Dolphins

EIA

Like other marine mammals, whales often mistakes marine debris for a potential food source. In some species, similar to that of the albatross, the whales mouth is so large it unknowingly picks up plastic debris (a technique observed in baleen whales). Necropsies performed after numerous whale strandings saw an increase in the amount of plastic debris found.

A study also found that hundreds of species of cetaceans have been negatively impacted by plastic pollution in the past two decades. The obstructions often puncturing and tearing the stomach lining, leading to starvation and death. According to Marine Pollution Bulletin, cetaceans are ingesting plastic debris at a rate as high as 31 percent, and in turn, 22 percent of those cetaceans were at an increased risk of death.

What Can You Do?

It's clear that plastic pollution impacts virtually every living organism in, or thriving off of, the oceans of our world. This is simply not acceptable. The balance of our ecosystem is essential to our quality of life and will ultimately depend on when the world decides to stop turning a blind eye to the issue and make the necessary lifestyle changes.

We all must remain diligent as we work to minimize our own individual consumption of plastic products. So, whether you're just beginning the journey to minimizing plastic in your life or not, there are a few key steps that never hurt to repeat.

Clean Up After Yourself

Sounds pretty self-explanatory, right? If you're on the beach or at the park, be mindful of a "leave with what you came with" policy. It also doesn't hurt to pick up after your neighbors if you notice they may have left a few things behind. Beach cleanups are a great way to help the environment and meet like-minded individuals who want to reduce their plastic footprint.

Recycle

It's simple to apply this to your everyday life by recycling in your own home. Most public places now offer waste versus recycling options, too. If you happen to be out, and you don't see an area for recyclables, simply ask. Worst case scenario is you're forced to take a plastic bottle or bag home with you and recycle it on your own.

When You Can: Just Say No

We understand that going completely plastic free is challenging for most families, but we all know plastic consumption isn't always well, necessary. Saying no to straws, buying in bulk and bringing your own reusable bags grocery shopping are just a few of the many ways you can cut down on the amount of plastic you're consuming.

For more information, check out these great articles:

For more Animal, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, don't forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter !

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These 5 Marine Animals Are Dying Because of Our Plastic Trash ... Here's How We Can Help

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According to a study from Plymouth University, plastic pollution affects at least 700 marine species, while some estimates suggest that at least 100 million marine mammals are killed each year from plastic pollution. Here are some of the marine species most deeply impacted by plastic pollution.

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- Whole Group Found This

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Plastic Pollution Facts

The proliferation of plastic products in the last several decades has been extraordinary. Quite simply, humans are addicted to this nearly indestructible material. We are producing over 380 million tons of plastic every year, and some reports indicate that up to 50% of that is for single-use purposes - utilized for just a few moments, but on the planet for at least several hundred years. It's estimated that more than 10 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year.
Visit Our Resources Page To Access: RESEARCH PAPERS , VIDEOS , INFOGRAPHICS , and MUCH MORE .

Plastic is cheap and incredibly versatile with properties that make it ideal for many applications. However, these qualities have also resulted in it becoming an environmental issue. We have developed a "disposable" lifestyle and estimates are that around 50% of plastic is used just once and thrown away.

Plastic is a valuable resource in many ways, but plastic pollution is an unnecessary and unsustainable waste of that resource.

Packaging is the largest end-use market segment accounting for just over 40% of total plastic usage.

Annually, approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute.

A plastic bag has an average "working life" of 15 minutes.

Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century.

Beverage Bottles Alone

According to the Container Recycling Institute, 100.7 billion plastic beverage bottles were sold in the U.S. in 2014, or 315 bottles per person.

57% of those units were plastic water bottles: 57.3 billion sold in 2014. This is up from 3.8 billion plastic water bottles sold in 1996, the earliest year for available data.

The process of producing bottled water requires around 6 times as much water per bottle as there is in the container.

14% of all litter comes from beverage containers. When caps and labels are considered, the number is higher.

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Key plastic pollution facts, providing a clear understanding of why this topic has become such a major issue around the world.

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This website is about the Great pacific garbage patch
- Harry & Chirag Found This

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the world's largest collection of floating trash-and the most famous. It lies between Hawaii and California and is often described as "larger than Texas," even though it contains not a square foot of surface on which to stand. It cannot be seen from space, as is often claimed.

The lack of terra firma did not deter a pair of advertising executives from declaring the patch to be an actual place. They named it the nation of Trash Isles, signed up former Vice President Al Gore as its first "citizen" and last fall, petitioned the United Nations for recognition. The publicity stunt perpetuated the myth.

The patch was discovered in 1997 by Charles Moore, a yachtsman who had sailed through a mishmash of floating plastic bottles and other debris on his way home to Los Angeles. It was named by Curtis Ebbesmeyer, a Seattle oceanographer known for his expertise in tracking ocean currents and the movement of cargo lost overboard, including rubber duck bath toys and Nike tennis shoes. The patch is now the target of a $32 million cleanup campaign launched by a Dutch teenager, Boyan Slat, now 23, and head of the Ocean Cleanup, the organization he founded to do the job.

Beyond those details, not much was known about the specific contents of the patch-until now.

What's Really in the Patch?

Microplastics make up 94 percent of an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch. But that only amounts to eight percent of the total tonnage. As it turns out, of the 79,000 metric tons of plastic in the patch, most of it is abandoned fishing gear-not plastic bottles or packaging drawing headlines today.

A comprehensive new study by Slat's team of scientists, published in Scientific Reports Thursday, concluded that the 79,000 tons was four to 16 times larger than has been previously estimated for the patch. The study also found that fishing nets account for 46 percent of the trash, with the majority of the rest composed of other fishing industry gear, including ropes, oyster spacers, eel traps, crates, and baskets. Scientists estimate that 20 percent of the debris is from the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

Laurent Lebreton, an oceanographer with the Ocean Cleanup and the study's lead author, says the research team was looking to assess the larger pieces.

"I knew there would be a lot of fishing gear, but 46 percent was unexpectedly high," he says. "Initially, we thought fishing gear would be more in the 20 percent range. That is the accepted number [for marine debris] globally-20 percent from fishing sources and 80 percent from land."

Ghostnets, a term coined to describe purposely discarded or accidentally lost netting, drift through the ocean, entangling whales, seals, and turtles. An estimated 100,000 marine animals are strangled, suffocated, or injured by plastics every year.

Ocean Cleanup is currently working on a system to remove much of this abandoned fishing gear, with plans to launch later this year.

"The interesting piece is that at least half of what they're finding is not consumer plastics, which are central to much of the current debate, but fishing gear," says George Leonard, the chief scientist at the Ocean Conservancy. "This study is confirmation that we know abandoned and lost gear is an important source of mortality for a whole host of animals and we need to broaden the plastic conversation to make sure we solve this wedge of the problem."

Marine debris expert Marcus Eriksen, co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute, cautions that the new study is based on only limited surveys, making it difficult to accurately estimate the complete size of the patch. The data are significant in showing such a high accumulation of fishing gear, he notes.

Publication of the garbage patch study coincided with a new report from Britain, Foresight Future of the Sea, that found plastic pollution in the ocean could triple by 2050 unless a "major response" is mounted to prevent plastic from reaching the ocean. The report declared plastic pollution to be one of the main environmental threats to the seas, along with sea-level rise and warming oceans.

The study included two aerial surveys in October of 2016 that took 7,000 images, and 652 ocean surface trawls conducted in July, August, and September of 2015 by 18 vessels.

The surface trawls also filled in the rest of the story.

Fifty plastic items collected had a readable production date: One from 1977, seven from the 1980s, 17 from the 1990s, 24 from the 2000s, and one from 2010. Researchers also found 386 objects with recognizable words or sentences in nine different languages.

The writing on a third of the objects was Japanese and another third was Chinese. The country of production was readable on 41 objects, showing they were manufactured in 12 different nations.

The study also concluded that plastic pollution is "increasing exponentially and at a faster rate than in surrounding waters." Others are not as confident that the conclusion indicates a dramatic change in distribution of marine debris. Much of the world's marine debris is believed to lie in the coastal regions, not in the middle of oceans.

Leonard says he was impressed with the scope of the study. "It's strong science," he says. "But at the same time, in this field, the harder we look, the more plastic we find."

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Isn't What You Think it Is

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the world's largest collection of floating trash-and the most famous. It lies between Hawaii and California and is often described as "larger than Texas," even though it contains not a square foot of surface on which to stand. It cannot be seen from space, as is often claimed.

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The documentary is about how ocean pollution is affecting the animals, such as the albatross.
- Harry Found This