Unfortunately, plastic does not break down into organic substances, which means that instead of breaking down into natural components that will go back into the earth, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic until they become nurdles, which are small pellets of plastic. This opposes an issue because as plastic gets smaller, not only does it turn into a large pile of nurdles that can be ingested by seabirds and fish, it also releases the chemicals that are contained within it. According to The National Geographic, Bisphenol A, a major component in plastic, is one of the chemicals that gets released when it breaks down. Bisphenol A is a chemical that is harmful to marine animals in a number of ways. For example, algae gains it’s nutrients through absorption. Algae can absorb bisphenol A, which will affect the entire food web in the end. Small fish tend to eat algae and zooplankton, and when a fish consumes algae that has absorbed bisphenol A, the concentration of the chemical will increase for the fish through a process called bioaccumulation, which causes the chemical to build up in the body of the fish. Not only are these fish at risk of death by toxic chemicals, but when a larger fish eats the smaller fish, they are also consuming the bisphenol A, only an even larger concentration of the chemical. This will continue up the food chain, until the largest marine animals, for example, a dolphin, consumes a fish and gains a high enough concentration of bisphenol A to kill them (nationalgeographic.org). This process is called bioaccumulation, and it has a great impact on the health of marine…
Animals may be entangled in plastic and die of starvation, they may also ingest the plastic and be poisoned by its chemicals.…
Recycling greatly benefits many aspects of the world, particularly the environment. Almost everything used in today’s society is manufactured from plastic (i.e. water/ shampoo/ mouthwash bottles, food containers, furniture, technology, etc.). Due to this, not recycling plastic can lead to many problems in our environment. Recycling plastic promotes the conservation of energy and natural resources. It also contributes to the decrease of water and air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. To add, recycling plastic can save landfill space, or structure…
Plastic is one of the resources that is polluting our environment. Some scientist believe that the more plastic added to the ocean the more harmful it is for the organism in the ocean. According to Tobias Kukulka, a physical oceanographer by University of Delaware stated in, Plastic below the Ocean Surface, "You have stuff that's potentially poisonous in the ocean and there is some indication that it's harmful to the environment, but scientists don't really understand the scope of this problem yet." Meaning that the more plastic put into the ocean it becomes more fragile it get and drift to the surface the birds, fish, or even other wildlife animals mistaken these plastic as food.…
Watching this film shows what we are slowly doing to this planet. It gives examples and states that ever since plastic was invented, every molecule of plastic ever made is somewhere on this planet. This can cause great harm to the planet because all the plastics are building up and are trashing oceans and beaches more and more each day.…
As mentioned in the article, “plastic actually does decompose, releasing potentially toxic chemicals that can disrupt the functioning of hormones in animals and marine life” (CBCnews, 2009) .The released wastes are harming the marine system, and animals that are in this whole food chain. And human beings get no benefits from their harmful actions to the ocean. At the top of the food chain, humans are the ultimate consumers, which means that the health quality of the animals at the bottom of the food chain have an accumulating impacts on the food (animals) we are consuming. When the ocean is polluted with toxic plastics, the seafood we get from the ocean are also…
I believe that if more people really knew what was happening & how it was effecting their day to day lives, & how even little changes like using reusable grocery bags instead of plastic could help the world, that we as a people could come together to change these things, 25 million tax dollars on spent on clearing plastic waste a year, That money could be going towards bettering schools & furthering education for students in need, With My research I hope to find information that suggests we are headed in the right direction to clearing our ocean & finding a better alternative to synthetic plastic.…
Every year, more than 300 million tons of plastic is made, this poses as a threat when you take a look at how much of this plastic is only intended to be used once and thrown away. Throughout the entire planet, plastics are being used more often and are being thrown away rather than using the recycling bin. When you throw these plastics away, they are taken to a landfill which often times will bury the garbage underground; nevertheless, although you can no longer see the plastic waste, it is still taking a toll on our health. Burying these products creates issues with the ground water that we humans, as well as our pets and other animals, drink from. When the plastics are buried in landfills, they have the potential to leak harmful chemicals into the ground water. Not only do these plastics effect our ground water, but they often times will find their way to the ocean if the landfill is found near a beach. The trash that has found its way to an ocean can float for thousands of…
Ever since plastic was first introduced almost a decade ago, we have seen an increased trend in pollution, especially in the ocean. You cannot hide or run away from plastic. Plastic is literally everywhere, from the clothes you’re wearing to even the IV bags used in hospitals. Do you see the toys your children are playing with? Yes, those are also made from plastic. Plastic has made itself into an everyday essential because it’s convenient and cost effective. Plastic isn’t the only thing that ends up in the ocean. According to the Rinkesh Kukreja, editor of Conserve Energy Future or CEF, other pollutants of the ocean are industrial waste, oil, and harm chemicals. With the current trend in pollution, marine life could easily cease to exist and certain marine organisms could end up becoming extinct. Barry Commoner, a biologist and Harvard graduate, once said “Environmental pollution is an…
Today when we go shopping, we will see a lot of people carrying their shopping bags made of plastic. Plastic bags are really convenient for all of us to carry things we have bought. In contrast, there are many disadvantages of using plastic bags. If you know that plastic bags have negative impacts for our environment, I am sure that reducing the use of plastic bags will be happened soon.…
In the first decade of this century, we made more plastic than all the plastic in history up to the year 2000. And every year, billions of pounds of plastic end up in the world’s oceans.…
Next time you do the shopping and carry home the things in a plastic carry bag, think and realise that you are contributing your share to a deadly plastic pollution whose ill effects are irreversible and capable of reaching out to many generations to come. Plastic is one of the major toxic pollutants of our time. Being composed of toxic chemicals and most importantly a non biodegradable substance, plastic pollutes earth and leads to air pollution and water pollution. There is no safe way to dispose plastic waste.…
The purpose of this research is to find out the damage that is caused by plastic rubbish and how to avoid it. Plastic rubbish is a global problem and affects us all. This research will be based on secondary research, so by existing literature.…
Plastic Pollution & Management Topics To Be Covered • Introduction • Composition & Synthesis • Types of Plastic & Their Uses • Disadvantages • Statistics • Impact on Environment • Plastic Waste Management • Measures To Be Taken • Conclusion EEES…
Plastic is a boon for man but it is a curse for the master. It makes life comfortable for man but life tiring for the environment. Once animals have eaten it and due to choking they die…