How and why so much waste ends up in our oceans?

How and why so much waste ends up in our oceans?

Rainwater and wind carries plastic waste into streams and rivers, and through drains. Drains lead to the ocean! Careless and improper waste disposal is also a big contributor – illegal dumping of waste adds greatly to the plastic surge in our seas.

How does waste get in the ocean?

Garbage in the ocean comes from trash from trash cans, the streets, and landfills that gets blown into sewers, rivers, or directly into the ocean. People litter, or wind blows trash out of dumpsters and garbage bins. Trash travels through sewer pipes, into waterways, and finally into the ocean.

How does agricultural runoff affect Gulf of Mexico?

Mainly caused by nitrogen-rich fertilizer runoff from Midwest farms and livestock operations, nutrient pollution streaming into the Gulf promotes massive algal growth, which depletes oxygen, killing fish and other marine life if they cannot escape.

Who is responsible for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

But specifically, scientists say, the bulk of the garbage patch trash comes from China and other Asian countries. This shouldn’t be a surprise: Overall, worldwide, most of the plastic trash in the ocean comes from Asia.

How can we stop plastic in the ocean?

So, what can you do about ocean plastic pollution?

1. Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics.
2. Recycle Properly.
3. Participate In (or Organize) a Beach or River Cleanup.
4. Support Bans.
5. Avoid Products Containing Microbeads.
6. Spread the Word.
7. Support Organizations Addressing Plastic Pollution.

Where is the plastic in the ocean coming from?

Most of the plastic in our oceans comes from land-based sources: by weight, 70% to 80% is plastic that is transported from land to the sea via rivers or coastlines. The other 20% to 30% comes from marine sources such as fishing nets, lines, ropes, and abandoned vessels.

What is the issue with plastic in the ocean?

The most visible and disturbing impacts of marine plastics are the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fishes and turtles, mistake plastic waste for prey, and most die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris.

How does plastic in the ocean affect humans?

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.

Why the plastic is harmful?

Some of these compounds have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects. Plastic debris, laced with chemicals and often ingested by marine animals, can injure or poison wildlife. Plastic buried deep in landfills can leach harmful chemicals that spread into groundwater.

Can Plastic cause health problems?

Microplastics entering the human body via direct exposures through ingestion or inhalation can lead to an array of health impacts, including inflammation, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and necrosis, which are linked to an array of negative health outcomes including cancer, cardiovascular diseases.