Kiera Jefferson
The ocean is the origin of all life on Earth, yet human activity is threatening its health. Each year, billions of pounds of trash and pollutants enter the ocean, with plastic being the most common item found. Plastic bags, bottles, food containers, cutlery, wrappers, and fishing items are among the top pollutants. Other items include glass bottles, metal cans, and paper bags, cigarette butts, and microplastics from sources such as synthetic rope. These items can persist in the environment for centuries, harming marine life and ecosystems. Nonpoint source pollution, such as runoff from farms, vehicles, and septic tanks, is another significant contributor, while carbon emissions, noise, and oil spills also pose serious threats to ocean health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic | Bags, bottles, food containers, cutlery, wrappers, synthetic rope, fishing items, bottle caps, straws, yogurt containers, detergent bottles, crates, buoys, combs |
| Nonpoint sources | Septic tanks, cars, trucks, boats, farms, ranches, forest areas, motor vehicle oil, dirt, topsoil, silt |
| Nutrients from fertilizer runoff | Nitrogen, phosphorus |
| Light | |
| Noise | From shipping and military activity |
| Industrial chemicals | |
| Oil | Crude oil, hydrocarbon leakage, oil spills |
| Carbon emissions | |
| Paper bags | |
| Cigarettes | |
| Glass | Beverage bottles |
| Metal | Beverage cans |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic items: bags, bottles, wrappers, and containers
Plastic is the main type of pollution in our oceans. Plastic items such as bags, bottles, wrappers, and containers are among the top ten kinds of trash found in the ocean. These items are used daily and often discarded without proper disposal or management, ending up in landfills or washed into streams, rivers, and eventually the ocean.
Plastic bags are one of the most deadly types of plastic in the ocean for marine life. They can take up to 20 years to decompose and are often mistaken for food by animals, causing serious harm once ingested. Beverage bottles, another common pollutant, contribute to the vast amount of plastic waste in the ocean. These bottles are often single-use items that are quickly used and discarded, adding to the plastic surge in the ocean.
Plastic wrappers and containers are also significant contributors to ocean pollution. Food wrappers, along with takeout containers, are frequently used and discarded improperly. These items break down into microplastics, small pieces of plastic less than 5mm in size, which can be ingested by marine organisms and enter the marine food chain. Microplastics can absorb harmful pollutants like pesticides and release them into the ocean, posing a threat to marine life and ecosystems.
The presence of plastic bags, bottles, wrappers, and containers in the ocean is a pressing issue. These items can take a long time to decompose, during which they can break down into microplastics and release harmful chemicals. The improper disposal of these plastic items contributes to the growing pollution in the ocean, impacting marine life and ecosystems. It is crucial to address this issue through proper waste management, recycling, and a reduction in plastic consumption to mitigate the harmful effects on the environment and human health.
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Cigarette butts and butts' toxins
Cigarette butts are the single greatest source of ocean trash. The Ocean Conservancy has collected more than 60 million cigarette butts from beaches since it began organizing beach cleanups in 1986. This figure dwarfs the combined number of food wrappers, eating utensils, plastic bottles, straws, and other plastic items recovered by the group.
Cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that can take a decade or more to decompose. When cigarette butts reach the ocean, they release toxic chemicals such as arsenic, mercury, ammonia, lead, and nicotine. These toxins are found in 70% of seabirds, and the butts themselves are found in the stomachs of fish, causing toxicity levels in the fish that survive. This can, in turn, affect human health if these fish end up on a dinner plate.
Cigarette butts are often dumped directly onto beaches, but they can also find their way to the ocean via storm drains, streams, and rivers far away from the shore. Once in the water, the butts dissolve, releasing the pollutants they have absorbed from the tobacco. A single cigarette butt is enough to pollute up to 500 liters of water.
The tobacco industry's waste pollutes throughout its entire lifecycle, from the cultivation of tobacco plants to production and waste. Tobacco cultivation requires about 200,000 hectares of land per year, contributing to deforestation and impacting entire ecosystems.
To reduce the presence of cigarette butts in the environment, some countries and cities have implemented anti-waste laws and separate collection channels for cigarette waste. These laws follow the “polluter pays” principle, imposing ecocontributions on the tobacco industry to fund the collection and treatment of cigarette butts.
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Rope and fishing items
Ropes and fishing items are among the top ocean pollutants, alongside plastic bags, bottles, food containers, and cutlery. Ropes alone account for almost 8% of the plastics found in the oceans, according to a study by the University of Cádiz. The maritime industry, which includes vessel construction, repair, cargo transportation, and scrapping, is the most likely source of this rope pollution.
The University of Plymouth's research reveals that these ropes can release a significant amount of microplastics into the ocean, up to 760 fragments per meter. This contributes to nutrient pollution, where excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus act as fertilizers, leading to excessive algae growth that restricts sunlight and oxygen from reaching aquatic plants.
Fishing gear, including nets, lines, ropes, traps, pots, and crates, is a major source of ocean plastic pollution, often referred to as "ghost gear." This gear is purposefully or accidentally lost, discarded, or abandoned in the ocean, posing a severe threat to marine life. It can entangle and harm various creatures, from small fish and crustaceans to turtles, seabirds, and even whales. Ghost gear can persist for hundreds of years, continuously damaging marine habitats and disrupting feeding and breeding grounds.
Commercial industrial fishing is the primary contributor to this type of pollution, with over 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear dumped into the sea annually. Greenpeace has called for international action to address this issue, urging governments to protect the oceans and regulate the fishing industry.
To combat rope and fishing gear pollution, consumers can reduce their demand for fish, while governments can implement measures to prevent fishing gear from further polluting the oceans and regulate the industry more strictly.
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Nonpoint source pollution: farms, septic tanks, vehicles
Nonpoint source pollution is harder to identify and address than point-source pollution. While point-source pollution comes from a single, identifiable place, nonpoint source pollution comes from many places at once. Nonpoint source pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground, carrying natural and human-made pollutants, which are then deposited into bodies of water. Farms, septic tanks, and vehicles are all sources of nonpoint source pollution.
Farms contribute to nonpoint source pollution through agricultural operations and polluted runoff. Increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer and manure can stimulate algal blooms in lakes and rivers, leading to hypoxic conditions that are harmful to aquatic life. Excessive sedimentation from erosion can overwhelm aquatic ecosystems, smother breeding areas, and degrade coastal and marine ecosystems. Bacteria and nutrients from livestock and poultry manure can contaminate water supplies and affect recreational activities. Pesticide runoff can also pose risks to aquatic life, wildlife, and drinking water. To address these issues, initiatives such as the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) aim to reduce the runoff of agriculture-related nutrients, sediment, and pathogens through the implementation of on-farm conservation systems.
Septic tanks can contribute to nonpoint source pollution when they are not properly maintained or when there is a failure in the system. Leaks and overflows from septic tanks can release untreated or partially treated sewage into the environment, including into nearby water bodies. This type of pollution is particularly concerning as it can introduce harmful bacteria, viruses, and nutrients into aquatic ecosystems, leading to potential health risks for humans and wildlife.
Vehicles contribute to nonpoint source pollution through various means. Rainwater can wash away pollutants from roads and streets, including oil leaks from car engines, tyre particles, and trash. These pollutants are then carried into storm sewers and eventually end up in rivers and other water bodies. In addition, vehicle emissions can contribute to air pollution, which can lead to acid rain and nonpoint source pollution when the pollutants are deposited over a wide area through rainfall.
It is important to note that nonpoint source pollution is a complex issue and can be challenging to manage due to its diffuse nature. However, through initiatives, regulations, and individual efforts, we can work towards reducing the impact of nonpoint source pollution on our oceans and other water bodies.
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Oil spills and runoff
Accidental oil spills are a primary concern, with human error and equipment failure contributing to a significant portion of these incidents. Oil tanker spills are particularly detrimental due to the large volume of oil released and their proximity to major marine ecosystems. To mitigate these issues, regulations such as the mandatory installation of double hulls in large tankers have been implemented, resulting in a decrease in both the number of spills and the amount of oil released.
Land-based runoff is another critical source of oil pollution in the ocean. It occurs when oil from cities, highways, and vehicles flows into rivers and eventually reaches the ocean. This type of runoff is a significant contributor, with estimates of at least 1.2 million tonnes of petroleum hydrocarbons entering North American waters annually. While data collection remains a challenge, individuals can play a role in reducing land-based runoff by decreasing fossil fuel usage, transitioning to electric vehicles, and improving vehicle maintenance.
Natural seeps, where oil enters the ocean through fractures in the seafloor, are also a notable source of oil pollution. While ecosystems have adapted to these regular releases, they still contribute to the overall oil content in the ocean. Oil spills from vessels, including operational discharges and accidents, further exacerbate the problem.
The impact of oil spills on the environment is profound. Oil can harm sea creatures by penetrating their plumage or fur, reducing their insulating abilities and making them more vulnerable to temperature changes and less buoyant in the water. It can also ruin recreational activities and make seafood unsafe for human consumption. Addressing oil spills requires sound scientific knowledge to effectively clean up the oil, assess the impacts of pollution, and support the ocean's recovery.
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Frequently asked questions
The ocean's main pollutants are plastic, nutrients from fertilizer runoff, nonpoint sources, light, noise, and industrial chemicals. Plastic tops the list, with common items found in the ocean, including bags, bottles, food containers, cutlery, wrappers, synthetic rope, and fishing items.
Nonpoint source pollution occurs as a result of runoff and includes small sources like septic tanks, cars, trucks, and boats, as well as larger sources such as farms, ranches, and forest areas.
Plastic pollution in the ocean has severe effects on marine life. Animals often mistake plastic for food, which can cause serious harm once ingested. Plastic can also entangle and choke marine animals. Additionally, plastic does not easily decompose and can persist in the environment for a long time, leading to the accumulation of trash in the ocean.
Noise pollution in the ocean is generated by shipping and military activity. It can cause cellular damage to invertebrates such as jellyfish and anemones, which are a vital food source for many marine creatures.
Besides plastic, other items that pollute the ocean include glass bottles, metal cans, paper bags, cigarette butts, and oil from various sources, including runoff from roads and drainpipes.
