When we were younger we were always told to clean up our messes. As we got older, it still holds true, for us individuals. But what about us as a collective, or the human race. Does that simple rule of cleaning up messes still hold true? Oceans take up a large portion of the earth’s surface, and were once seen as an all-encompassing, limitless reservoirs, quite able to bear the brunt of the human race. This, however, is not true as is becoming increasingly apparent.
Over a few decades, humans have managed to dump tons upon tons of garbage into the ocean. Around 80 percent of marine litter originates on land, and most of that is plastic.
The conservative estimate is that around 4.8 million metric tons of garbage, specifically plastic, is realised into world’s ocean each year. Some researchers believe the real number to be close to 12.7 million metric tons. To put these numbers into perspective, one metric ton is equal to 2,205, so …show more content…
Ocean plastic breaks down into little particles called mircorplastics, a term coined by Prof Richard Thompson. Thompson found small quantities of microplastics in a range species in the English Channel. “This in my opinion doesn’t constitute a risk in terms of human consumption, but I am concerned about the longer-term.”, (Thompson). The problem of mricoplastic could become that of mercury problem. A study from Ghent University in Belgium found also mircoplastics in living organisms, specifically mussels and oyster.
In the north Pacific Ocean, there exists the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, also known as an oceanic desert. Because of the slow moving currents, there many tiny-like phytoplankton but few big fish or mammals. This area also holds home, to the largest landfill in the world. The gyre has unexpectedly given birth to two large masses of ever-growing trash heaps - Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches – collectively called the Great Pacific Garbage
Over a few decades, humans have managed to dump tons upon tons of garbage into the ocean. Around 80 percent of marine litter originates on land, and most of that is plastic.
The conservative estimate is that around 4.8 million metric tons of garbage, specifically plastic, is realised into world’s ocean each year. Some researchers believe the real number to be close to 12.7 million metric tons. To put these numbers into perspective, one metric ton is equal to 2,205, so …show more content…
Ocean plastic breaks down into little particles called mircorplastics, a term coined by Prof Richard Thompson. Thompson found small quantities of microplastics in a range species in the English Channel. “This in my opinion doesn’t constitute a risk in terms of human consumption, but I am concerned about the longer-term.”, (Thompson). The problem of mricoplastic could become that of mercury problem. A study from Ghent University in Belgium found also mircoplastics in living organisms, specifically mussels and oyster.
In the north Pacific Ocean, there exists the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, also known as an oceanic desert. Because of the slow moving currents, there many tiny-like phytoplankton but few big fish or mammals. This area also holds home, to the largest landfill in the world. The gyre has unexpectedly given birth to two large masses of ever-growing trash heaps - Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches – collectively called the Great Pacific Garbage