MICROPLASTICS IN OCEANS
1. Context
An estimated 170 trillion plastic particles weighing about 2 million metric tons are currently afloat in the oceans across the world, according to a new study, which added that if no urgent action is taken then this number could nearly triple by 2040
2. About Microplastics
- Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics.
- They are fragments of any type of plastic less than 5mm(0.20 in) in length.
- Plastic pollution is big evil and can help viruses alive and infectious in fresh water for days
- Microplastics are particularly harmful to the oceans as they don’t readily break down into harmless molecules and adversely affect the health of marine organisms, which mistake plastic for food. Moreover, these particles can trigger loss of biodiversity and threaten ecosystem balance
3. Key Findings
- Researchers examined surface-level plastic pollution data from nearly 12,000 ocean stations in six major marine regions, from 1979 to 2019
- Finally, by using computer modelling, the researchers were able to come up with a global time series to estimate not only how much microplastic is currently in the oceans but also how their concentration has changed over the years
- They found that from 1990 to 2005, the number of plastic particles more or less fluctuated
- One of the reasons for this could be due to the effective implementation of important policy measures at the time
- In the 1980s and 90s, some international policies, like MARPOL Annex 5, enforced laws against dumping trash at sea. They were powerful laws that were enforceable and were preventative
- However, things went downhill soon after as the world began producing much more plastic than ever before
- Therefore, as the study pointed out, the concentration of plastic particles including microplastics in the ocean has skyrocketed in the oceans since the mid-2000s, and it continues to increase
- Researchers further mentioned that if the world fails to take any drastic action about the issue, there will be a 2.6-fold increase in plastic flowing into aquatic environments by 2040
4. Impacts of Microplastics on Ocean and Marine life
- Several recent studies have detected microplastics in marine organisms, from phytoplankton to whales and dolphins, which might prove hazardous for them
- The ingestion of such particles can cause “mechanical problems, such as lacerations and blockages to internal systems.”
- Ingested plastics can cause chemical problems by leaching absorb chemicals into organisms
- We know that microplastics absorb many hydrophobic compounds, like DDT, PCBs and other industrial chemicals, and evidence shows they can be released when ingested
- Microplastics can also disrupt the carbon cycle of the oceans
- Normally, phytoplankton absorbs carbon and are eaten by zooplankton, who excrete the carbon in the form of faecal pellets that sink to the sea floor
- Once these carbon-containing pellets reach there, “the carbon can be remineralized into rocks preventing it from escaping back into the atmosphere,”
- If zooplanktons consume microplastics, their faecal pellets sink at a much slower rate, which means they are more likely to break apart or be eaten by other animals
- Making it less likely that the carbon will reach the seafloor and become permanently sequestered
5. How to limit plastic pollution in oceans
- Researchers of the latest study suggested that there is an urgent need to implement a global resolution to limit the production of single-use, throwaway plastic
- We need cities to be responsible for managing their waste so it does not leave their territory
- We need to reduce the amount of chemical additives in new plastic products
- If we talk about recycling, there have to be requirements that recycled plastic be used in new products
- The industries that make plastic like to talk about how technically we can recycle all of it. But they don’t like to commit to buying recycled plastic, therefore recycling fails
Source: indianexpress
