Marine Pollution By Plastic Debris: Imminent Dangers And Solutions (original) (raw)
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The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review
The deleterious effects of plastic debris on the marine environment were reviewed by bringing together most of the literature published so far on the topic. A large number of marine species is known to be harmed and/or killed by plastic debris, which could jeopardize their survival, especially since many are already endangered by other forms of anthropogenic activities. Marine animals are mostly affected through entanglement in and ingestion of plastic litter. Other less known threats include the use of plastic debris by ''invader'' species and the absorption of polychlorinated biphenyls from ingested plastics. Less conspicuous forms, such as plastic pellets and ''scrubbers'' are also hazardous. To address the problem of plastic debris in the oceans is a difficult task, and a variety of approaches are urgently required. Some of the ways to mitigate the problem are discussed.
Marine Pollution by Plastic: Menace to the Marine Environment
BIMRAD PAAL Magazine, 2023
Marine pollution has been a growing concern for decades. Various forms of pollutants threaten the Bangladesh coast. With a large population within a tiny land mass, Bangladesh will be more focused on the Bay of Bengal in the future for economic growth. Marine pollution is a cause of concern for Bangladesh and needs to be addressed right now before it goes beyond the manageable threshold. Most marine plastic pollution comes from the land. The ever-growing dependence of humans on plastic has filled the oceans and the land. The rising level of plastic dumps in the oceans is suffocating, ingesting and entangling the life underwater and above it. It is learnt that the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea are the new marine plastic hotspots in Asia. Hence, it is imperative to understand the plastic pollution in the Bay of Bengal, its impact on us and ecological imbalance as a whole.
We hope this book will be a valuable resource for the public, policymakers, students, and those who are interested in understanding and addressing the growing threat of marine plastic pollution. Also, this book will help raise awareness of the magnitude of the problem and inspire action towards a sustainable and plastic-free future.This book is published as an open-access publication under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), and the text and its contents can be re-used for all awareness and education activities, provided the original publication is credited. Also, write to us for its translation into various other languages. This book 'evolved' primarily due to our involvement with Project ECO MARINE (Building a Comprehensive Mechanism for Preserving Marine Ecosystems and Life from the Negative Consequences of Climate Change and the Disposal of Plastic Debris) co-funded by the Erasmus + program of the European Union, where the University of Kerala is a partner. The production of this book is also supported through the project. We also thank Dr Georgios Georgiou, Professor,
Overview of Effect of Plastic Waste Pollution on Marine Environment
Journal of Asian Scientific Research, 2022
Environmental pollution is one of the most important and critical problems facing the planet and threatening the ecosystem in all its forms. Due to the large quantities of plastic manufactured in different parts of the world and the difficulty of decomposing plastic products, which have a decomposition period of decades. As well as considering the marine environment as one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to pollution with plastic waste, and at the same time, people do not pay attention to this disaster, which directly affects the rest of the environmental systems and causes serious changes to the ecosystem. In this paper, we tried to review some of the direct effects of plastic waste on marine organisms such as coral reefs and sea turtles. As well as review the impact of these organisms' damage on the ecosystem in general. This paper recommends some solutions that will reduce the huge quantities of plastic waste and how to treat it and try to legalize production to control the amount of plastic waste previously produced during the past decades. Contribution/ Originality: This study contributes to add some ideas to existing literature studies in the field of environmental pollution of the marine environment due to plastic, while highlighting some solutions that could contribute to reducing this type of pollution. 1. INTRODUCTION Plastic is considered one of the most harmful substances in the environment and at the same time, it is one of the most consumed materials daily all over the world [1]. Plastic has lightweight, highly durable, strong, and cheap price. According to United Nations UN reports, one million bottles of drinking water are consumed every minute, and five billion plastic bags every year [2]. Half the amount of plastic produced is designed for single use only and thrown after use. Plastic production began in the 1950s till the 1970s was small quantities where waste plastic was
Plastic Debris in the Coastal and Marine Ecosystem: A Menace that Needs Concerted Efforts
Plastics are versatile polymers and their application in variety of sectors has transformed day-today human life. Their use is increasing day-by-day. As a result, plastic debris is on the rise, and concerns the politicians, media, scientists, industry and the public. The plastic debris reaches coastal and marine environments as their ultimate sink and is accumulating around the world, even in the remote and uninhabited coastal environments. The marine organisms are facing the danger of possible entanglement, ingestion, habitat destruction and bio-invasion. The presence of debris affects the aesthetic and recreational value, causing considerable economic loss. The human health and safety is also threatened by the plastic debris. Considering the effect of plastics in the environment, a balanced approach should be followed in using the plastics. Educating the stakeholders for the wise and judicious use of plastics with appropriate disposal and cleanup strategies would help in managing the plastic debris to protect our coastal and marine ecosystem.
2018
The consequences of plastic debris in the marine environment were reviewed, and possible solutions were presented. The extent of marine plastic debris-related problems surpasses many other marine problems, as plastics may be transported globally and no unaffected areas seem to exist. Many animal species are in risk, most commonly studied are the effects on marine mammals and seabirds. Marine plastic debris creates new concerns such as entanglement, ghost fishing, and impaction of digestive tracts in animals. It also increases the severity of already existing concerns such as transport, exposure and uptake of organic pollution, with reduced fitness and impaired reproduction and increased mortality rates as consequences. To alleviate the problems, reducing the extent of marine plastic pollution is critical. Possible methods were identified as collecting and incentivizing recycling of marine plastic debris; redirecting production from petroleum plastics to biodegradable varieties; increase public awareness to reduce marine littering; stricter enforcement of current legislation as well as implementation of stricter legislation and harsher penalties for breaking it.
Marine Plastic Pollution: Sources, Impacts, and Policy Issues
Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, 2019
Plastics have been instrumental in providing access to clean drinking water, medical applications, and improved hygiene and food safety. However, plastics also cause problems. More than 10 million tons of plastic enter the oceans annually. Marine plastic pollution has documented impacts on marine organisms and ecosystem services. The use of chemical additives in plastics also poses a potential threat to human health. While desirable, recycling of plastics is currently constrained by material and chemical complexity, limitations in available technologies, and market demands. This article provides a brief introduction to plastic materials, marine plastic pollution, and its potential effects on marine ecosystems and human health. We also discuss some of the policy and technical issues and suggest priorities for further research.
Plastic Pollution and its Impact on Environment
Ecology, Environment and Conservation
Beginning around 1950 to 2021, about 6.3 billion tons of plastics have been delivered around the world, out of which only 9% is reused, individually. Human population increment is eventually related to the increasing use of plastic. Plastic items are answerable for consistent expansion in the development of plastic. We have surveyed in this paper, the most important written works on the various sorts of plastics underway, the negative impacts of these constituents to air, water, soil, organic entities and human wellbeing viz-a-viz the different removal technique. Papers that revealed ecological and general wellbeing impacts of plastic looked in to assortments of plastic utilized in the creation of numerous consumable items including clinical gadgets, food bundling and water bottles containing harmful synthetic substances like phthalates, weighty metals, and Nonyl phenol. Yearly 8 million tons of plastic is delivered into the sea, prompting corruption of marine living space which at ...
Plastic Waste in the Aquatic Environment: Impacts and Management
Environment , 2018
The majority of consumer products used today is composed of some form of plastic. Worldwide, almost 280 million tons of plastic materials are produced annually, much of which end up in landfill or the oceans. Plastics are produced by the conversion of natural products or by synthesis from primary chemicals, generally from oil, natural gas or coal. In contemporary society, plastic has attained a pivotal status, with extensive commercial, industrial, medicinal and municipal applications. It affects at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species. Marine animals are harmed mostly through ingestion, entanglement and subsequently strangulation. Ingested plastics debris has been found to reduce stomach capacity, hinder growth, cause internal injuries and create intestinal blockage. Plastics entanglement with nets or other materials can result in strangulation, reduction of feeding efficiency, and even drowning. Plastics pollution facilitates the transport of species to other regions, alien species hitchhike on floating debris and invade new ecosystem thereby causing a shift in species composition or even extinction of other species. Legislation, prohibiting the disposal of plastics in the sea, introducing of biodegradable plastics, recycling of plastics and public awareness campaigns to discourage littering are various ways in which this problem can be minimized. Other remedial measures include enforcing environmental laws, development of indigenous and homegrown knowledge for plastic waste management and development and implementation of quality standards for all plastic recycled products.