Plastics Affecting Earth's Oceans

Plastic is a highly-used consumer product that has become increasingly detrimental to the environment, specifically Earth’s oceans and freshwater ecosystems. Plastic products that are not properly recycled can end up in landfills; as plastics sit in a landfill they become compressed amongst other layers of garbage, when rainwater flows through the landfill, the water absorbs the water-soluble compounds in the layers of plastic, some ow which are highly toxic, creating a harmful strew called leachate. Leachate is a liquid that has dissolved or entrained environmentally harmful substances. These leachates make their way into groundwater, soil, and streams, poisoning ecosystems and harming wildlife (Bryce, 2015). Furthermore, plastic products …show more content…
Globally, at least 23% of marine mammal species, 36% of seabird species, and 86% of sea turtle species are known to be affected by plastic debris (Sigler, 2014). Plastic can choke, reduce growth, drown animals, and spread invasive species. More so, the large amount of plastics found in the Earth’s oceans is killing large amounts of plankton, forcing the ocean to suffocate. Plankton is responsible for oxygenating the ocean through photosynthesize; however, the large build-up of gyres is blocking sunlight from getting to the plankton, preventing the organism from oxygenating the ocean. When large amounts of plankton die, it results in dead zones. Finally, scientists are now realizing that similar gyres observed in the oceans and along coastlines are arising in bodies of fresh water. In the United States, more plastics continue to accumulate in the Great Lakes each year. These plastics not only make their way to the sea through networks of rivers, streams, and into the ocean gyres, but more so, it is believed that the plastic photodegrades into smaller pieces. Fish consume these micro-plastics, which will ultimately make their way up in the food chain to humans (Seltenrich,2015). It is possible that these plastics, consumed by …show more content…
Economically, plastic bags are increasingly becoming a problem, but are still widely used and produced around the world. In the United States alone, approximately 48 million tons of plastic are generated each year; additionally, worldwide, about 280 million tons of plastic are produced annually for the manufacturing of products, including packaging materials, storage containers, plastic bottles, and even automobiles (Sigler, 2014). Plastic surrounds present life, so it has a firsthand effect around the world economically. Finally, plastic has a large social impact on the world. It is highly used in vast amounts of consumer products, mainly due to its lightweight, durable, and inexpensive make. It is predicated that the average individual uses just under 5 pounds of plastic each day. It is no doubt that plastic has improved aspects of human life and society; however, now the effects of improperly recycled plastic products are detrimental to the environment and possibly human health in the upcoming