PLASTIC OCEAN
Facts
• The facts are that we are changing our environment as we
subject our planet to a tidal wave of plastic waste. We have
produced more plastic in the last 10 years than we did in the
whole of the last century and this plastic production is
having a huge impact.
• It is using vast amounts of precious oil reserves;
approximately 8% which equates to the amount used by the
whole of Africa. Almost half of the plastic we use is used
just once and is then thrown away – the problem is that
there is no “away”.
• The impact on wildlife, the environment and the potential
harm to human health are only now becoming clear
A Global Issue
• Marine litter and in particular
plastic waste, is a global
problem.
•
The vast majority of
plastic waste is destined for
landfill sites which limits the
impact through ‘containment’
however does not solve the
problem.
•
A significant proportion of
plastic gets into the water
course and eventually ends up
in the oceans.
• As might be expected the plastic
waste on the coastlines is more
prevalent around more populated
coastal areas.
• However, once the plastic waste
enters the oceans it is influenced by
global currents that distribute it
around the world.
Plastic has been found in all
of the major oceans, not just
areas of human habitation,
often
travelling
vast
distances. It does not respect
international boundaries and
has invade even the most
remote places.
The fact is that it doesn’t matter
where you live, plastic waste is
pervasive, pernicious and
persistent. It reaches every part
of the planet and it is all of our
responsibilities to resolve this
issue.
Environmental Impact
• Plastic Pollution is having a significant
environmental impact particularly on marine
life and coastlines. There are three major
impacts on marine ecosystems:
• Entanglement
• Ingestion
• Transport of Invasive Species
Entanglement
• Over 250 species have been known
to have ingested or become
entangled in plastic (Laist, 1997)
• Entanglement rates of up to 7.9%
have been discovered in some
species of seals and sea lions
(Allsopp et al)
• A UNEP report estimates that
around 130,000 cetaceans are
caught in nets each year (US EPA,
1992)
Ingestion
• Over 100 species of sea birds
are known to ingest plastic
artefacts (Laist, 1997)
• According to Dr Jan Andries
van Franeker, around 95% of
Fulmers have plastic in their
stomachs that affect them in
chemical and mechanical ways
• 31 species of marine mammals
are know to have ingested
marine plastic (Allsopp et al)
Transport of Invasive Species
• The increase in marine litter,
in particular plastics has
resulted in a corresponding
increase in species invasion
(Allsopp et al)
• Man-made litter has resulted
in a significant increase in
the opportunities for the
transportation of alien
species
‘Biotic mixing’ as a result of human
activities is becoming a widespread problem
(Barnes, 2002)
The hard surfaces of plastic debris is
providing an attractive and alternative
substrate for a number of organisms. The
introduction of non-endemic species can
have a catastrophic impact on indigenous
species and biodiversity and the increase in
synthetic and non-biodegradable material
pollution will accelerate the process
(Gregory, 2009)
Economic Impact
• Around half of the world’s population lives close to the
sea, a figure that is expected to rise to three quarters by
2025, and approximately 60% of the population gets
the majority of its protein from the sea. As well as
having a environmental impact, the plastic pollution in
our oceans is also having a significant economic
impact.
• One estimate is that plastic pollution alone could be
costing developing and industrialised nations up to
$1.27 Billion annually as it threatens fishing, shipping
and tourism (McIlgorm et al, 2008)
• A UN study in 2002 concluded that vast
resources of the oceans were at risk,
along with many economic benefits
that humanity derives from them,
estimated at about $7 trillion per year
(United Nations, 2002)
• The aesthetics of plastic waste along
coastlines can affect tourism and the
‘well-being’ of local communities. In
2010, the Cinque Terre region of Italy
banned plastic bottles after it was
estimated that 2 million were left
behind by tourists every year.
• The waste on coastlines is not
necessarily locally produced. In 1989,
29000 bath toys were lost at sea in the
Pacific Ocean. 15 years and 17,000
miles later these toys began arriving at
beaches in the UK
Human Health
• Recent research into chemical additives in plastic have been
linked to problems associated with human health, and this is
where there is an issue with plastic particles. Plastic is
breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces and entering
the food chain and releasing chemicals into the fish that eat
them (Zarfl & Matthies, 2010). These particles are ingested
by fish and retained within their digestive system, slowly
releasing chemicals into their bodies. Furthermore research
has shown that the plastic surface of these particles is
adsorbing chemicals from the surrounding water (Kosier,
2010). Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are being
found in concentrations on marine plastics in several orders
of magnitude higher than they are free in the water
(Thompson, 2010).
• The same POPs have been associated with numerous
detrimental health conditions:
• Cancer (Wang et al. 2009,WWF 1999, Ociepa-Zawal et al.
2010, Purdue et al. 2009, McGlynn et al. 2008)
• Diabetes (Ruzzin et al. 2010, Lee 2008, Carpenter 2008)
• Low sperm count (WWF 1999)
• Altered immune systems (WWF 1999, Hertz-Picciotto
2008)
• Genital defects (WWF 1999)
• Endocrine disruptors (Cao et al. 2008, Han et al. 2010,
Goncharov et al. 2009, Tan et al. 2009)
• Rheumatoid arthritis (Lee et al. 2007)
• Endometriosis (Porpora et al. 2009)
• Low birth weights (Murphy et al., 2010)
• Developmental problems in
children:
• Lowered IQ (Jacobson and
Jacobson 1996, Park et al. 2009)
• Lowered reading ages (Jacobson
and Jacobson 1996)
• Affected social skills (Jacobson
and Jacobson 1996)
• Behavioural problems (WWF
1999)
• Memory and attention
problems (WWF 1999, Jacobson
and Jacobson)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY
2OuKLvzEE
http://www.upworthy.com/11-simpleways-to-save-the-ocean-from-turninginto-plastic-soup?c=gp1
Reference
http://www.plasticoceans.net/
http://www.upworthy.com/11-simpl
e-ways-to-save-the-ocean-fromturning-into-plastic-soup?c=gp1