How big a problem is ocean plastic?

From the enormous amount of plastic produced, a big part of it ends up in the ocean every year. More specifically, according to studies, more than 170 trillion plastic particles are floating around in the ocean. Plastic debris is currently the most abundant type of litter in the ocean, making up 80% of all marine debris found everywhere from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Plastic is found on the shorelines of every continent, most of it found near popular tourist destinations and densely populated areas. The main sources of plastic debris found in the ocean are land-based, like littering, inadequate waste disposal, industrial activities, construction, illegal dumping and fishing industry.

Most of all these plastic items never fully disappear; they just break down into smaller and smaller pieces, called microplastics, which are also breaking down further into even smaller pieces.  Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into these small particles, often less than one-fifth of an inch across. These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the seas and then carried away by the water cycle. They have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench (LINK). Microplastics can enter the human body through inhalation and absorption and accumulates in organs. They have been found in the human body, but also in the drinking water and the food.

All of this plastic and microplastic in the ocean has a devastating impact on marine life and ecosystems. The most obvious one being the damage plastic items cause to animals when they come into contact with or ingest them, which include suffocation, infections and internal injuries. More specifically, 17% of the species affected by the presence of plastic in the ocean are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, with the whales being the Largest consumers of plastic waste. A new study has found that whales are consuming millions of particles of plastic every day as they filter feed in the oceans. (LINK) For blue whales – the world’s largest animal – the estimate was about 10 million pieces of plastic per day, which equates to between 230 kg and 4 tons of plastic during the feeding season.


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