01 November 2011

Cleaning the Oceans from Plastic - Mission Impossible?

Far from our eyes islands have been forming in the oceans - plastic islands floating  along the oceanic gyres, luring fish and birds with their bright colors. We have been killing innocent animals with each plastic bottle cap that has not landed safely in the trash bin. And all the floating colorful plastic bits of civilization are at the core of a very modern and ironic question - is cleaning the oceans from plastic possible at all?

Debris from the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami
Much has been said recently about the enormous floating island of debris from the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan that is about to hit Hawaii and the West Coast of the U.S. Some claim that it comprises of anywhere between 5 and 20 million tons of houses, boats, cars, tractors, even human bodies.

Several months ago, researchers from University of Hawaii came up with a simulation model showing part of the vicious circle the debris will make around the North Pacific - floating past Hawaii by about mid 2012 and reaching the US shores by 2013 before heading back to Asia. In fact, if the lighter items are not blown ashore by winds or get caught up in another oceanic gyre, they will continue to drift in the North Pacific loop and complete the circle in about six years.

Simulation of the trajectory of debris from the 2011 Japan tsunami and earthquake. University of Hawaii Mānoa International Pacific Research Center










Although the vast amount of debris was washed into the ocean before the release of radioactive water from the destroyed power plants it is possible that some of them are in fact contaminated with radioactive material.

Of course, a great part of the debris is plastic, which will increase tremendously the already high level of pollution of the ocean. But here is where I am starting to look perplexed - why is all the media getting so animated about the harmful plastic from the Japanese tragedy when the amount of tsunami debris, although massive, is a mere nothing comparing to the plastic trash that is dumped into oceans on a regular basis!

I read opinions that Japan should take care of the trash "their" earthquake produced and I assume it is simply easier for everyone to find the one to blame and just pour the blames. How about the anonymous polluters thanks to whom more than 1 million seabirds, 100000 mammals and sea turtles are dying each and every year?

According to a report by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy  released 7 years ago roughly about 20% of the plastic in the oceans comes from ships or offshore platforms; the rest is blown, washed off the land or simply thrown away.

Marine debris found in the gastrointestinal content of a juvenile green turtle accidentally captured in Bahía Samborombón, Argentina. Photo: Victoria González Carman

Plastic not only damages marine animals habitats but it also kills the ones that eat it or get tangled in it and drown. Plastic bags, colorful bottle caps and polystyrene foam coffee cups are often found in the stomachs of dead sea lions, dolphins, sea turtles and other sea animals. 

Bill Macdonald, vice president of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, a Long Beach, California-based nonprofit environmental organization says:
"In the sea, big pieces of plastic look like jellyfish or squid, while small pieces look like fish eggs. I have seen albatross parents fly huge distances to feed their young a deadly diet of plastic bottle caps, lighters and light sticks.
The sheer volumes of plastic in oceans are staggering. In recent years Algalita researchers have sampled a huge area in the middle of the North Pacific, and found six pounds of plastic for every pound of algae."

New trash discoveries in the ocean
Even before the tsunami, the World Ocean was the collective bin for the trash of the world - flowing in from rivers, washed off beaches, neglected from oil and gas platforms or from fishing, tourist, and merchant boats. For many years now marine debris has become a serious problem for marine ecosystems, fisheries, and shipping.


According to Nikolai Maximenko at the University of Hawaii, the trash which does not degrade, is not washed off on shores, does not end up at the ocean's bottom or in the animals stomachs is directed by ocean currents and gyres to five major regions in the World Ocean, which have turned into “garbage patches”: The so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, floating between Hawaii and California has been growing since the 1950s. Its weight is estimated to about 4 million tons and 80% of it is plastic. There is another one, north of the Caribbean which is similar in volume to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and is reportedly taken care of (for now). The South Atlantic, South Indian Ocean, and South Pacific patches have just been found.

Map source: NASA

At this point no one sees it possible to clean this whole mess. On the contrary, there are predictions that it will only get bigger thanks to our throw-away culture, addicted to plastic. To quote Miriam Goldstein of The Oyster's Garter:
"... [T]he trash gyre would be very, very hard to clean up. The plastic is so small, and so scattered, that it would take high-intensity trawling similar to that for shrimp. And shrimp trawling kills 10 pounds of non-targeted life (sharks, turtles, fish, you name it) for every pound of shrimp gathered... The mortality caused by trying to remove all the trash in the gyre would probably be similar. We’re just going to have to live with it and try to prevent it from getting any bigger."
There is something the majority of people simply don't get and it is this: Most plastics do not biodegrade. Unless removed, they will remain in the sea for hundreds of years, breaking up into ever-smaller particles. Recently British scientists discovered that microscopic pieces of plastic can be found everywhere in the oceans, even inside plankton, the keystone of the marine food chain.

The Washing Machine Problem
Yes, you and your washing machine could be contributing to the devastating pollution of the World Ocean. According to a recent report published in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology there is increased accumulation of microplastic debris in the oceans coming from the wastewater of washing machines! The bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than pin heads go into the bodies of sea animals and could be transferred to people who eat fish. The microplastic can stay into their organisms for months.

During a wash cycle more than 1,900 fibers can rinse off of a single garment and these are the exact same microplastic debris found in the sea. Maybe it is about time we consider the clothes we are wearing and hopefully there will be further research which will lead to developing methods for reducing the release of microplastic in wastewater.

In the meantime, there are simple things we can all turn into habits in order to help reduce the ocean pollution:
  • Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible.
  • Whenever you shop choose recyclable products.
  • Don't use plastic bags, except if they are biodegradable.
  • Think about where you are throwing your trash, even the smallest bit. It might end up in your stomach.
  • When you think of trash, try to think beyond your trash bin - plastic doesn't leave your life after you throw it away.
  • Take real action and collect the trash that you see on the street. One item a day makes 365 for a year, times 7 billion... you can do the math.
  • Educate your children about recycling.
  • Pass this message on!

With information from NOAA, University of Hawaii, Deep Sea News.

17 comments:

  1. Reduce, reuse and recyle has been our mantra for years now. Such an important message Sonya and thank you so much for showing the harm plastic does....you are amazing:)

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  2. This is a wonderful post.

    I spent Saturday at a Festival where everyone was being taught the damages of trash. Cool exhibits in miniature scale and the kids were soaking it up.


    Stopping by from Blogging Buddies.

    Have a wonderful Tuesday!

    Http://christiecottage.blogspot.com

    <><

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  3. Such a sad story. I knew there was a problem, just not how bad. Very informative.

    Visiting from blogging buddies.

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  4. That is just an amazing article Sonya. I don't live anywhere near an ocean so I don't hear much about that type of pollution. That is just horrible. What is worse is that there will never be a total clean up. I am also shocked to learn about the particles from a washing machine. I never dreamed that something as innocent as our clothes could have an effect on nature like that.

    Thank you for reminding us just how much we are all responsible for the oceans, even if we don't ever see them.

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  5. Sobering post! Excellent information.

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  6. Thank you, everyone for a wonderful feedback!

    Christie Cottage, such a great idea to educate children on the damages of trash. Hopefully they are able to soak this information up.

    Debbie, yes indeed, it is scary to think that although you might not live anywhere near an ocean, your footprint is quite influential as well...

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  7. Great article Sonya. Leaving near the ocean, I see a lot of debris washing ashore, many of which comes from far away brought here by the Gulf Stream. Often, turtles are found with nets or fishing lines caught around their fins and unable to swim. So sad, we must all do our part to reduce, reuse and recycle.

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  8. Excellent post, Sonya! I didn't know that acrylic could wash out of our clothes and into the sea. You help me to live a more mindful life. :) I'm sharing this article on twitter.

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  9. Very informative, and scary!

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  10. It's just crazy how we have these islands of trash growing every single day. I wonder if one day we'll get around to going over, picking it up, and then disposing it on land instead of in the sea? It'd probably cost too much.

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  11. Rachel, the problem is not one of money, it is even greater - trawling for the small bits of plastic will require high-intensity trawler similar to that of shrimp. And for a pound of gathered trash about 10 pounds of life will be lost, i.e. fish, turtles, sharks, etc. There are bits of plastic even in plankton. That is why scientists say it is impossible to gather the ocean trash.

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  12. Since plastic is made from a non-renewable resource, it should really be used ONLY for durable, long lasting items. Instead there is all this horrible packaging. I wish I could avoid it but it's so hard.

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  13. Fiona, it is hard indeed! Once I got my mind to wean off plastic at home I started getting more and more worried because it really is hard - you get almost everything in the store in plastic!

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  14. Great post Sonya! The washing machine thing is a HUGE problem - kudos to you for discussing it! A garment does NOT need to be washed every time it is worn. In fact, your clothing will last longer if you wear it a few times between washes and try to hand wash.

    I really love your posts on the environment. You share things that a lot of people are not aware of, and do it in a way that is appealing and easy to read. :)

    xo,
    melissa

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  15. Wow... our world really is a polluted mess. It's really disturbing how much litter and pollution is floating around in our oceans. Terrible, terrible, terrible! *shiver* I don't understand why everyone in the world isn't going green. Doesn't this stuff disturb EVERYONE? Aah!

    And wow. That's kind of harsh by telling a country so recently rattled by an earthquake to take care of their own mess. It's definitely easier to blame someone else, isn't it? People need to put themselves in someone else's shoes. Think how we'd feel if we were hit by a massive natural disaster, and everyone else said, "Look what you've done, you're polluting the oceans!" Goodness. It's not just pollution we need to work on in our society, it's mindset.

    Okay, rant done!

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  16. Great article. I have been obsessive about recycling for years , but it's time to take it one step further. Thanks for this information, it has changed the way I think about trash.
    Valerie
    Everyday Inspired

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  17. Like Debbie, I'm shocked to learn about the particles from a washing machine. I'm filled with impotence, sadness, and despair when I read about things like ocean pollution...

    You do such a valuable job by sharing these informative bits. I think I'll be passing your post along on FB.

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