Types and Dangers of Ocean Pollution and Ways to Reduce Them
The relationship between ecosystem and humans has been an established fact for a long time. The environment contributes highly to our development as humans, and we are responsible for the maintenance and wellbeing of our ecosystems. The ways through which we take care or exploit of our environment has a direct effect to our lives especially to our health.
One of the most important and controversial topics concerning our environment is ocean pollution. What is ocean pollution? According to National Geographic Society, ocean pollution comprises chemicals and trash disposed in the ocean which can cause damage to environment, marine organisms and economic structures globally.
In this blog article, we will discuss the dangers of ocean pollution and how to manage them.
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Before we proceed to the discussion on the dangers of ocean pollution and its management, it is important to first discuss what are the types of ocean pollution to begin with.
3 Major Different Types of Ocean Pollution
1. Plastic
According to Van Sebille, Sphathi and Gilbert’s Grantham Institute briefing paper in 2016, the top sources of plastic globally are packaging, automotive, electronic, agriculture, building and construction enterprises.
While the top practices resulting to ocean plastic pollution are illegal damping, coastal littering, sewer overflows, improper waste management, improper disposal of products from the industrial sector, fishing activities, shipping activities, offshore oil and gas activities, undersea explorations, and inadequate wastewater filtering process.
2. Trash
Ocean trash is the garbage disposed into the ocean. Examples are marine debris made of plastic, wood, and metal. Other examples are fishing gears, food wrappers, paper and so on.
3. Chemical
According to National Geographic Society, chemical pollution comprises of toxic contaminants that are human-made. Examples of this are pesticides, fertilisers, detergents, oil, industrial chemicals and sewage.
6 Major Dangers of Ocean Pollution
1. Ocean plastic pollution endangers marine life.
According to the study of Sigler in 2014, ocean plastic pollution poses great risks to our environment overall, but the greatest danger it poses is directed at the marine life. As we usually see in the news, animals in the sea are often found inflicted by plastic in their abdomen. Plastic materials eaten by animals in the sea cause dangers to their health and growth, especially in cases of internal injuries and intestinal obstruction.
2. Abandoned ocean trash such as nets, ropes and debris can cause ghost fishing.
According to Van Sebille, Sphathi and Gilbert, ocean trash can entrap animals and endanger their survival in their marine environment. Marine animals can be entrapped by these ocean trash for prolonged duration of time, hence endangering and affecting marine diversity.
3. Floating ocean litter can transport non-native and invasive species and can cause imbalance of marine diversity.
According to Van Sebille, Sphathi and Gilbert, slow travel rates through floating ocean litter activates the adaptation mechanisms of non-native and invasive species, thus creating imbalance of marine diversity. Not only that, ocean regions with abundant ecosystem tend to be areas that are affected most by ocean litter.
4. Ocean toxin can affect human health.
Not only ocean pollution affects marine life, it also has direct effects to humans too. According to Fleming, Broad, Clement, Dewailly, Elmir, Knap, and Walsh, diseases can be acquired through seafood contaminated by toxins. According to the study, examples of several diseases that can be acquired through contaminated seafood are: shellfish poisoning, diarrheic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, azaspiracid shellfish poisoning, and paralytic shellfish poisoning.
5. Safety risks due to ocean trash.
According to Van Sebille, Sphathi and Gilbert, lingering ocean trash can cause navigational hazards especially in instances when propellers of ships and boats are damaged due to entanglement to trash. Hence, risking people onboard. Also, it is dangerous for swimmers and divers to encounter obstruction in forms of ocean trash.
6. Social disadvantages of ocean trash.
According to Van Sebille, Sphathi and Gilbert, ocean pollution not only endangers marine and human life, it also has social disadvantageous effects. For instance, water sports and other leisure activities such as swimming and diving can reduce satisfactory experience for people. Also, people feel aversion when coastal areas and beaches are polluted with ocean trash.
5 Major Ways to Reduce Ocean Pollution
1. Creating eco-friendly products.
This is one of the sustainable ways through which ocean waste can be avoided, this means reducing the production of disposable items through replacing them with eco-friendly products.
A lot of efforts worldwide have been dedicated into manufacturing sustainable and innovative replacements to the use of disposable or plastic materials. For example, manufacturing non-plastic cups such as cornstarch or paper cups in replacement of plastic ones.
2. Creating technological solutions.
Clean up by using technological advancements is an innovative solution to ocean pollution. One example is the Marine Debris Tracker cited in the study of Sigler. The project utilises smartphones in documenting and monitoring marine debris in different bodies of water. Another example mentioned in the study is the “plastic-eating drone”, and another device which acts like a trapping tool that collects trash from the ocean.
3. Collection of ocean trash.
Still is one of the oldest tricks in the book. This can involve manual collection by the citizens near a coastal area or using different equipment that can skim the surface of water for marine debris and litter.
4. Recycling plastic.
Another one of the oldest tricks in the book. This can be done through household recycling practices or through manufacturing plastics not from new materials, but from old plastics gathered from the ocean. The study of Sigler mentions gasification and smelting as methods through which old plastics can be re-manufactured into new ones. This is highly effective in reducing plastics entirely.
5. Responsible and stricter measures of human activities in the ocean.
It was mentioned earlier that improper disposal of products from the industrial sector, fishing activities, shipping activities, offshore oil and gas activities, undersea explorations are among the top practices that can cause ocean pollution. Trash and chemicals disposed in the ocean arising from these activities are fatal not only for marine life, but also for humans. Disposal of these forms of ocean pollution can be avoided if stricter measures will be implemented by governments globally, and if people involved in these activities are trained to responsibly conduct business in the ocean.
There you go! Now that we have identified some types of ocean pollution, some damages it can cause and how to reduce and manage ocean pollution, I hope you would also make personal efforts, and be critical with your waste disposal in order to reduce waste that can potentially end up in the ocean!
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This blog article is written by Charm from Inkmypapers.
Sources:
Fleming, L. E., Broad, K., Clement, A., Dewailly, E., Elmir, S., Knap, A., ... & Walsh, P. (2006). Oceans and human health: emerging public health risks in the marine environment. Marine pollution bulletin, 53(10-12), 545-560.
Sigler, M. (2014). The effects of plastic pollution on aquatic wildlife: current situations and future solutions. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 225(11), 2184.
Van Sebille, E., Spathi, C., & Gilbert, A. (2016). The ocean plastic pollution challenge: towards solutions in the UK. Grant. Brief. Pap, 19, 1-16.