Preview

plastic

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
298 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
plastic
The pollution of the ocean is rapidly becoming a crucial problem on Earth. The major causes of sea pollution are oil spills, toxic waste, and dumping of other harmful materials into the ocean. This pollution will directly affect the living organisms in the ocean and indirectly affect human’s health and resources. We, as humans, should learn more about these in order to have the knowledge on how to solve this problem effectively. plastic is everywhere and the reason that plastic is everywhere is be
ABSTRACT
Plastic Pollution has become a global issue in our oceans. Although we hear about this from time to time the problem has grown tremendously beyond our knowledge. There are a growing number of animals dying each day due to plastic particles that either get stuck around their head, or that they swallow. If we do not stop plastic pollution in our oceans the ocean will eventually lose its habitats and our ecosystem will be changed forever.
Introduction
Plastic pollution is an ever-growing environmental concern. Plastic debris are a choking and an extensive barrier to wild life. Take out cups from Starbucks, plastic spoons, bottle caps, and disposable milk jugs are all examples of plastic pollution that we may use on a weekly or even a daily cause it is easy and cheap to make and they can last a long time. Companies love plastic because it is cheaper to use. For example, when we buy our grocery at the local grocery store our food is already wrapped in plastic then it gets put in to plastic bags. In reality almost everything is made of plastic overuse of plastic causes a serious pollution problem because it collects in the ocean and on land, is consumed by oceanic life, and deposits onto beaches worldwide.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    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…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oceans are polluted to a great degree due to humans using plastic and not being recycled.…

    • 1121 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    We have all heard about how we are killing our oceans and how the coral and fish are suffering. We also hear how we have to clean the beaches, use eco-friendly materials and do our part to help, but does anyone ever tell us what is really happening in the oceans or how to help? In the article “11 Billion Pieces of Plastic Are Ridding Corals with Disease”, published in The Atlantic in January of 2018, Ed Yong interviews two microbiologists, Joleah Lamb and Rebecca Vega Thurber, on how plastic is destroying our coral reefs. The plastic cuts off oxygen and light from the coral casing many different kinds of diseases. Thurber gives some solutions how we can help solve this problem. For example, controlling how much plastic is made locally and how we dispose of plastic that is used. Yong makes several points by using…

    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    BIO 420 Methods

    • 538 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There are many methods people can use to reduce plastic pollution. They can reduce, reuse, and recycle. This is the oldest method that is effective if done correctly. They can buy recyclable products with little or no packaging. Buying these products will reduce the use of plastic and will reduce recycling needs which will lead to a cleaner Earth. They can also use biodegradable plastics so we don’t have to worry so much about plastic pollution. Keeping storm drains clean and never littering will also help reduce the plastic that end up in the oceans. Everyone can join the banning of plastic bags which will reduce a significant amount of plastic pollution. Refusing to use disposables and choose to use reusable or Tupperware products. This can reduce plastic pollution because instead of just throwing the container away after using it, it can be washed and reused. People can also help to clean up your local beaches. This will help to reduce the amount of litter and plastic pollution that will eventually end up in the ocean. If one cannot help clean up the beaches, they can make donations to help the clean-up. There are a number of organizations people can donate to such as the Natural Resources Defense Council or NRDC. NRDC is one of the nation’s most effective action groups. They work to safeguard the earth — its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.…

    • 538 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Are we killing our oceans? This is the proposed question of Dahr Jamail in his article Oceans of pollution. He details several environmental pollution issues facing the waters of the world, from large floating plastic islands to hypoxic zones in which sea life cannot breathe. His thesis is that humanity’s inability to deal with plastic waste is causing harmful problems in the ocean to rise, which could lead to serious negative effects on the planet. He conveys the current scientific consensus and directs it towards an audience that is unaware or ignorant of these issues.…

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Often times, there are debates surrounding controversial environmental issues, such as global warming, deforestation and nuclear power. But then, there is little or no public debate on the impact of plastic bags on the environment. Plastic bags kill tens of thousands of animals every year. In the marine environment plastic bag litter is lethal, killing tens of thousands of birds, whales, seals and turtles every year as they often mistake plastic bags for food such as jellyfish (planetark, 2015). Various experts estimate that up to a million birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed each year from plastic debris including bags (One Green Planet, 2015). It is estimated that between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year ( One Green Planet, 2015). This means that plastic bags is serious environmental issue. Given this, we as sustainability leaders should start to think of a way to trigger some public debate on this issue. Sustainability is about…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    (6) Sometimes, the marine life that eats our garbage find their way onto our tables as our food. Our digested trash, which has soaked up many toxins, contaminates the fish. If these fish, by some miracle, do not die before fishermen catch them, they poison us. Also, (7) certain chemicals plastics consist of are slowly released into the air we breathe and the water we drink. These chemicals could potentially cause many awful diseases and defects, (8) such as, however not limited to, cancer, liver dysfunction, asthma, bronchitis, severe lung problems, and a multitude of skin diseases. Many of the more common effects, however, are not fatal, such as dizziness, eye and nose irritations, coughing, headaches, and tiredness. But the risk is too high to leave it be until a later date. Not only does our horrible habit of pollution kill marine life, it may also find itself taking…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Plastic In The Ocean

    • 115 Words
    • 1 Page

    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.…

    • 115 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Trash Vortex

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a gyre between Hawaii and California, also known as the Trash Vortex, is twice size of France, or size of Texas, which is six times the amount of plankton in the ocean made of plastic debris. Costumers of plastic don’t know about how dangerous can be the use of plastic irresponsibly. Every time we throw plastics away, no matter if it’s in a litter, or in streets, wind, air, and water are always carrying plastics and are going to end up at ocean. Plastics act as a “chemical sponge”, they can concentrate a lot of damaging pollutants, and so, any animal that eats that will also be taking toxic pollutants.…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Large pieces of plastic, such as bags, six pack rings, and many other things have trapped, suffocated, or left marine life in critical conditions. Plastic waste has the potential to last thousands of years before decomposing; however, not only is it dirtying our oceans, it is also serving as a home to many invasive species. These invasive species then harm the fish or other aquatic life when the plastic comes into contact with the animal. Not only is the plastic tangling up the aquatic life, but the small broken down particles are also getting into their body and disrupting their immune systems. For example, harmful chemicals that are found in many different plastic products are able to be absorbed by the fish; not only can this be a threat to the fish’s life, it can also be a threat to us, as humans, who might ingest the…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The plastic bag pollution effects animals who swim and feed there self in the ocean. Plastic bags tend to disrupt the environment in a serious…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Plastic In The Ocean Essay

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages

    More than 200 animal species are dying everyday because they are consuming plastic in the ocean. This paper will discuss the environmental issue of polluted oceans, the causes, and possible solutions.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    We 're treating the oceans like a trash bin: around 80 percent of marine litter originates on land, and most of that is plastic. Plastic that pollutes our oceans and waterways has severe impacts on our environment and our economy. Seabirds, whales, sea turtles and other marine life are eating marine plastic pollution and dying from choking, intestinal blockage and starvation. Scientists are investigating the long-term impacts of toxic pollutants absorbed, transported, and consumed by fish and other marine life, including the potential effects on human health.…

    • 1096 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    "Ocean Plastic Pollution and How You Can Help." Greenpeace International. N.p., 30 Oct. 2006. Web. 28 Feb.…

    • 1338 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sea Salt Around The World

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the article “Sea Salt Around the World is Contaminated by Plastic” researchers discover that microplastics in sea salt from around the US, Europe, and China. This also proves that plastic pollution is pervasive in the environment. Research proved that tiny plastic particles have been found in our sea salt. This is dangerous because it means that microplastics are entering our daily food chain through the salts in our diets. Scientist believe that most of the contamination comes from water bottles and microplastics. Scientists estimated that over 12 million tons of plastic are entering the ocean each year. This is equivalent to one garbage truck of plastic dumping into the ocean each minute. Sherri Mason studied 12 different types…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays