Read the passage given below :
- All of Earth's oceans share one thing in common: plastic pollution. Discarded plastic bags, cups and bottles make their way into the sea. Today, it seems that no part of the ocean is safe from plastic trash. In recent years, oceanographers have searched in vain for a pristine marine environment. They have found plastic wherever they have looked. "It is a common global problem, we cannot point to a single habitat or location with no plastic."
- Plastic harms wildlife and introduces dangerous chemicals into marine ecosystems – communities of organisms interacting with their surroundings. Once plastic enters the environment, it lasts for a long time. Scientists are working to prevent plastic pollution from entering the sea.
- When people litter, or when trash is not properly disposed of, things like plastic bags, bottles, straws, foam beverage cups get carried to the sea by winds and waterways. About 80 per cent of ocean plastic originates on land. The rest comes from marine industries such as shipping and fishing.
- In 2015, engineer Jenna Jambeck at the University of Georgia and other researchers calculated that at least 8 million tons of plastic trash is swept into the ocean from coasts every year. That's the equivalent of a full garbage truck of plastic being dumped into the sea every minute. If current trends in plastic production and disposal continue, that figure will double by 2025. A report published by the World Economic Forum last year predicts that by 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all the fish in the sea.
- In today's world, plastic is everywhere. It's found in shoes, clothing, household items, electronics, and more. There are different types of plastics, but one thing they all have in common is that they are made of polymers – large molecules made up of repeating units. Their chemical structure gives them a lot of advantages: they're cheap, easy to manufacture, lightweight, water resistant, durable and can be moulded into nearly any shape.
- Unfortunately, some of the properties that make plastics great for consumer goods also make them a problematic pollutant. Plastic's durability comes in part from the fact that unlike paper or wood, it doesn't biodegrade, or break down naturally. Instead it just fragments or breaks into tiny pieces over time. These tiny pieces, known as microplastics, can potentially stick around for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years.
- Another problem with plastics is the other chemicals they contain, like dyes and flame retardants. When plastic is not disposed of properly, these additives end up in the environment. Plastic also tends to absorb harmful chemicals from its surroundings. "It is like a sponge for persistent organic pollutants". These long-lasting, toxic substances include pesticides and industrial chemicals. If plastic absorbs the chemicals, and marine organisms eat the plastic, they may be exposed to higher concentrations of these contaminants.
- One of the biggest impacts of plastic pollution is its effect on sea life. Seals, sea turtles and even whales can become entangled in plastic netting. They can starve to death if the plastic restricts their ability to move or eat. Additionally the plastic can cut into the animals skin, causing wounds that develop severe infections.
- Sea turtles eat plastic bags and soda-can rings, which resemble jellyfish-their favourite food. Seabirds eat bottle caps or chunks of foam cups. Plastic pieces may make an animal feel full, so it doesn't eat enough real food to get the nutrients it needs. Plastic can also block an animal's digestive system, making it unable to eat.
- Plastic and its associated pollutants can even make it into our own food supply. Scientists recently examined fish and shell-fish bought at markets in California and Indonesia. They found plastic in the guts of more than a quarter of samples purchased at both locations. In organisms that people eat in whole, such as sardines and oysters, the plastic is actually getting transferred to us. In larger fish, chemicals from plastics may seep into their muscles and other tissues that people consume.
- One way to keep the ocean cleaner and healthier is through cleanup efforts. A lot of plastic waste caught in ocean currents eventually washes up on beaches. Removing plastic can prevent it from moving into the sea again. Beach clean-up is ocean clean-up.
- Cleanup efforts cannot reach every corner of the ocean or track down every bit of microplastics. That means it is critical to cut down on the amount of plastic that reaches the sea in the first place. Scientists are working towards new materials that are safer for the environment. For example, Jambeck and her colleagues are currently testing a new polymer that breaks down more easily in seawater.
- "Individual actions make a big difference," says Jambeck. Disposing of plastic properly for recycling or trash collection is a key step. "And simple things like reusable water bottles, mugs, and bags really cut down on waste," she says. Skipping straws or using paper ones helps too. Ocean pollution can seem overwhelming, but it's something everyone can help address. This is a problem we can really do something about.