GGH2604 Assignment 2 Essay 2021.

GGH2604 Assignment 2 Essay 2021. People And The Environment. Plastic Pollution Plastic pollution has been around for decades. The details and effects of plastic pollution is usually very visually prominent in the area. Recent studies also now indicate the impact plastic pollution has on the water and oceans. Plastic pollution in the ocean has a colossal effect on both marine animals as well as the well-being of humans. These effects will be discussed in the essay below as well as measures and methods that can be implemented to reduce plastic pollution. Plastics are natural and artificial polymers. Plastics have existed for more than a century. However, by the time 1988 rolled around, humans produced about 30 million tons of plastic in the United States. Plastic is a diverse material, which aids in the amounts of plastic increasing over time. Humans are very dependent on plastic for dayto-day functioning. It is cheap, lightweight and durable, making plastic a very suitable material to manufacture several different products. The same characteristics that makes plastic useful are also the properties that cause plastic to be a major threat to the environment and to human health. Mankind tends to ignore the seriousness of the effect that plastic has on the marine environment especially for a prolonged amount of time. Awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean has grown due to people engaging in the movements of anti-plastics, but although the plastic becomes less visible, it is still present as fragmented particles in the ocean. The plastic fragmentation is usually caused by the digestion of plastic by marine animals. When plastic is fragmented, it becomes available to all parts of the food chain and thus poses a larger threat to the entire ecosystem. The sources of the pollution of the marine environment are both lands- and marinebased, their origins may distant or it may originate in the local environment, and the environmental consequences are varied and detrimental. The more widely recognized problems are typically associated with entanglement, ingestion, suffocation and general debilitation, and are often related to stranding events and public perception. Marine animals, such as fish and sea turtles, getting entangled is one of the most visible and crucial effects of plastic pollution with abandoned fishing nets being the largest culprit to mass entanglement. Additional materials such as plastic bags, balloons and rope also contribute to this issue. Entangled animals are inhibited to swim, breath and feed. Animals getting entangled at a young age may lead to impeded growth. Sea birds, dolphins and seals are also among those that are at risk of entanglement. Entangled animals cannot avoid predators and become fatigued when swimming. This may lead to an inability to hunt or feed which can cause them to starve. Long term This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :17:20 GMT -06:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH entanglement can lead to deformities and abnormalities and sharp plastic objects can be fatal. Entanglement can also affect an entire species and the marine ecosystem as a whole. Marine debris on the seabed can have several effects on both marine animals and plant life. Debris can suffocate plants which results in a reduced rate of photosynthesis. This leads to long-term effects on the ecosystem and biodiversity, since the primary organism in the food chain will significantly decrease and subsequently put strain on the rest of the food chain. Plastic dragged around the seafloor can alter the biogeochemical properties of the seafloor which subsequently disturbs the delicate balance. The nutrition usually available to filter feeders also greatly decrease as a result of smothering. Smothering inhibits water circulation and reduces the amount of particles that eventually reaches filter feeders. Marine debris present on beaches indirectly affects marine animals. Beaches with a large amount of debris will prevent nesting of the sea turtles and will pose a threat to hatchlings. Litter may also lead to ecological changes. A direct relationship exists between increased amounts of plastic and low snail densities on beaches. Ingestion of plastic also poses a major threat to marine animal life. Plastics can be intentionally or accidentally ingested. Intentional ingestion is often a result of foraging strategies during which plastic products is often mistaken for prey. Foraging strategies is dependent on the availability of food. A decrease in the number of jellyfish resulted in an increased amount of plastic ingestion by sea turtles. Filter feeders and omnivorous predators are most prone to ingestion of plastic. Plastic colour and shape also affects the frequency of ingestion. Blue items are more difficult to identify in open water and are thus not ingested as frequently as brighter colours. Plastic bags are ingested more frequently by sea turtles than other plastic items because of being mistaken for jellyfish. Accidental ingestion often occurs with whales, shellfish, filter feeders and certain seabirds since they gain food from filtering large amounts of water, which often contains plastic debris. Some debris may be expelled before entering the digestive tract, but this is not always plausible. Secondary ingestion occurs when animals feed on prey that already ingested plastic debris. When plastic is ingested it may have a direct fatal effect or it can lead to a chain effect. Direct mortality results when the gastrointestinal tract is blocked by plastic or when the stomach wall is punctured by the ingested plastic. Ingested plastic catalyzes the delivery of plastic through bio-transportation, this results in smaller plastic fragments to be excreted by marine animals which leads to the spread of plastic to other habitats or other trophic levels. Sinking carcasses that contain plastic This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :17:20 GMT -06:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH or fasces of zooplankton results in plastic transportation to the deep-see. Migration of some fish also leads to the redelivery of plastic in the ocean. Therefore, marine animals play a vital role in the redistribution of plastic debris. (Susanne Kühn, 2015) Sea turtles are especially prone to ingesting plastic debris or entanglement in nets and lines or other fishing gear abandoned by fishermen. Statistics show that these events have increased drastically over time. Increased understanding of sea turtles and their ecology lead to discoveries about the result of waste exposure on the physiology of sea turtles during juvenile years. Developing turtles, spend their time in the open sea for a time interval of 3 -5 years. Very often, turtles are drawn into drift lines during this time. When this happens, it aligns fishing gear and plastic. This increases their issue of survival since they rely on drift lines for finding food or shelter. Growing evidence suggests that the health of the ocean is associated with human-wellbeing. Our influence on the ocean will have a significant impact on our future and human health. Microplastic is a primary component that pose a threat to human health. Microplastics are small plastic bits of below 5 mm. Microplastics include a collection of particles that differ in shape, size and chemical arrangement. These microplastics are commonly applied in hand cleaners and some cosmetics. These microplastics are very durable which enable them to enter the ocean by means of disposal. Microplastics pose a vital threat to the food chain since they are accessible to all the components of the food chain. Microplastics are very easily ingested by marine animals. After ingestion, microplastics are delivered to the circulatory system after which it enters cells and various tissues. Absorption of microplastics can lead to many dangerous effects. The adverse effects may be caused by the particles themselves or by the chemicals added to the particles. These microplastics are often transferred from marine prey to the predators. Traces of plastic debris have been detected in fish and shellfish that are sold for human consumption. This raises major concerns regarding the effects of contaminated food and the potential effects on human health and well-being. Accumulation of microplastics in marine organisms directly leads to biological effects. When humans consume these marine organisms they can cause chromosome alteration, cancer, obesity and infertility. Microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of fish does not provide clear evidence that humans are exposed as well, because this organ is not commonly consumed by humans. Marine species that we consume as a whole poses a greater risk of contamination than gutted fish. These microplastics was found to be present in the flesh of some marine animals as well. Therefore, gutted fish does not eliminate the risk of contamination. This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :17:20 GMT -06:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH Microplastics act as delivery vehicles for a variety of chemicals that includes chemicals added when produced as well as contaminants that were absorbed in the environment. Most of the chemicals implemented during manufacturing is toxic to both humans and animals. These chemicals include neurotoxins and carcinogens. Many adverse effects are caused by marine animals through exposure to microplastics. Mortality, reduced body mass, growth, feeding and predatory performance being among the associated effects. Reduced swimming performance, neural toxicity, larval abnormalities and decreased fertilization was also observed. These observations indicate that the marine animals populations are negatively affected. Decreased food availability for the human population will follow. Mercury, a common pollutant, has increased in concentration in certain regions in the ocean. Mercury is especially fatal to both humans and marine animals. The chemicals found on the microplastics are also vehicles for exotic species and pathogens. Plastic debris increases the risk of disease delivery among humans. The debris may also contain exotic species that will negatively affect biodiversity. Ingested pollutants can be carried from the plastic to the animal tissue which may result in the disruption of functions that play a key role in biodiversity. Most of the microplastics accumulate over time, which increases the toxic effect of the chemicals on humans. When a different species colonize, they pose a great threat to the biodiversity of marine life. Studies investigated the colonization of marine organisms from debris found on the shores of 30 different islands in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans and found that human litter doubles the opportunity for the spread of these alien species. The poles are protected when the sea surface freezes. However, because of global warming, these are unfortunately the areas that are affected. Microplastics also contribute to the toxicity of a variety of pollutants such as metals and pharmaceuticals. Although several studies have observed the presence of microplastics in seafood, the exact effect on human health has not been established and much research on the topic is still needed. Scientists have investigated the impact that size has on the effect that microplastics will have on marine animals and humans. Microplastics smaller than 10 micrometres will be absorbed through the gut and delivered into the circulatory system. This means that the entire physiological system will be exposed. Microplastics smaller than 10 micrometres will be able to access all organs and cross over all cell membranes. Following absorption, the brain, muscle and liver may be exposed to the microplastics. When these microplastics come into contact with our immune systems, it can lead to a variety of effects and immune responses. This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :17:20 GMT -06:00 This study resource was shared.