Omar Khalid
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California, is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world. It is a gyre of plastic debris in the north-central Pacific Ocean, made up of microplastics and larger items like fishing gear and shoes. Marine debris in garbage patches can have detrimental effects on wildlife, such as entanglement and ingestion, which can lead to injury and death. Animals may mistake plastic for food, causing intestinal injury and blockages, or the plastic may release chemicals that enter the food chain. These issues have been observed in various species, including fish, seabirds, turtles, seals, and other marine mammals. The impact of plastic pollution extends beyond the marine environment, as microplastics can also be found in our food and drinking water, potentially affecting human health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marine animals consuming plastic | Sea turtles, seals, whales, fish, birds, monk seals, Steller sea lions, albatross chicks, Hawaiian monk seals, Pacific loggerhead sea turtles, finches, blue whales, hyenas, zebras, tigers, camels, cattle, elephants, sharks, and more. |
| Marine animals entangled in plastic | Seabirds, seals, whales, turtles, monk seals, Steller sea lions, sharks, and more. |
| Impact on marine food webs | Marine debris blocks sunlight from reaching plankton and algae, threatening their communities and disrupting the entire food web. |
| Impact on human health | Microplastics have been found in municipal drinking water systems, seafood, sea salt, tap water, beer, honey, and even the air. |
| Financial impact | Plastic pollution costs $13 billion per year, with economic costs due to marine plastic estimated between $6-19 billion per year. |
| Impact on marine life | Chemicals from plastics enter the body of the animal feeding on it and pass up the food web, including to humans. |
| Impact on marine debris removal | Marine debris removal is challenging due to the small size of microplastics, which can also result in the accidental trapping of small sea animals. |
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic ingestion blocks digestive tracts, pierces internal organs, and causes starvation
- Animals get trapped and entangled in plastics, making them vulnerable to predators
- Plastic debris disrupts marine food webs by blocking sunlight from reaching plankton and algae
- Chemicals in plastics enter the animal's body and pass up the food web, including to humans
- Plastic waste is transported in the air and found in household dust, contaminating water
Plastic ingestion blocks digestive tracts, pierces internal organs, and causes starvation
Plastic ingestion is a significant issue for wildlife, with deadly consequences. The plastic fills the stomach, reducing the feeling of hunger, and animals subsequently eat less, leading to starvation. This is a particular issue for species such as camels, where plastic causes half of all camel deaths in the United Arab Emirates. A camel found dead had ingested a lump of plastic weighing between ten and sixty kilos. As the plastic cannot pass out of the stomach, the lump continues to grow until the animal dies.
The plastic can also block the gastrointestinal tract, causing intestinal injury and death. This blockage can be caused by sharp or rough plastic, which can also cut the digestive system, leading to infection and internal bleeding. The plastic fills the stomach, leaving less room for food, and this reduced storage volume causes starvation. This is a problem for albatross chicks, which ingest plastic, leading to lower weights as they cannot eat a full meal.
The chemicals in plastics can also pass into the body of the animal, and these toxins can cause further issues. As smaller animals are eaten, the chemicals pass up the food chain, eventually reaching humans. These chemicals can cause liver and cell damage and disrupt reproductive systems.
Plastic ingestion is a widespread issue, with nearly 2,100 species affected, including nearly every species of seabird. It is estimated that 60% of all seabird species have eaten plastic, and this number is predicted to increase to 99% by 2050.
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Animals get trapped and entangled in plastics, making them vulnerable to predators
Marine animals are becoming entangled in plastic at alarming rates, with nearly 1,800 cases of turtles and marine mammals swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic objects off the American coast since 2009. This plastic pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife, with thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals, and other marine mammals killed each year after ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it.
Animals can inadvertently swallow floating pieces of plastic while feeding or may mistake plastic for food. For example, sea turtles can mistake floating plastic garbage for food. In one case study, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle drowned after a plastic bag filled with sand wrapped around its neck. In another instance, a spinner dolphin was seen with plastic around its nose. Abandoned fishing gear, such as nets, can be particularly dangerous for animals, causing deep injuries and hampering movement.
The sharp threads of nets can cut into the flesh of whales, causing them to lose fins or tails. Other whales are forced to swim with the fishing nets they are entangled in, making them more vulnerable to predators. In addition to whales, marine mammals such as sea lions, dolphins, and seals are regularly entangled in plastic.
The impact of plastic pollution extends to endangered species as well. Nearly 2,100 species, including endangered ones, are known to be affected by plastics. Hawaiian monk seals, an endangered species, have been found with large amounts of plastic debris in their habitats, including areas that serve as pup nurseries. In one case, a monk seal was discovered with a plastic water bottle stuck on its snout.
The plastic crisis is not limited to the oceans, as plastic ingestion has also been observed in land-based animals such as elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, and cattle, leading to liver and cell damage and disruptions to reproductive systems.
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Plastic debris disrupts marine food webs by blocking sunlight from reaching plankton and algae
Marine debris, including plastic waste, poses a substantial risk to marine life, food webs, and ecosystems. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California, is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world. It spans from the west coast of North America to Japan and contains 180 times more plastic than marine life.
Furthermore, plastic debris can absorb and leach harmful pollutants, which can then be ingested by marine organisms. These pollutants can accumulate in the bodies of marine organisms, leading to adverse health effects and even death. Plastic waste can also cause intestinal blockages and damage to marine and land animals, and wildlife can become entangled in plastic debris, rendering them immobile and more vulnerable to predators.
The impact of plastic pollution on marine food webs is a growing global crisis. With billions of pounds of plastic ending up in the oceans each year, the problem is expected to worsen, with plastic predicted to outweigh fish in the sea by 2050. The impact on marine food webs and human food sources underlines the urgency of addressing plastic pollution and finding effective solutions to protect marine life and ecosystems.
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Chemicals in plastics enter the animal's body and pass up the food web, including to humans
Plastic waste in the ocean is a growing global crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences that make up about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. It is predicted that by 2050, plastic will outweigh all the fish in the sea. This plastic waste is incredibly harmful to wildlife and humans.
Plastic waste in the ocean, especially in the form of microplastics, is ingested by marine animals. Microplastics are pieces of plastic smaller than five millimeters in length. Because of their tiny size, they can easily pass through animals' digestive systems. Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic each year, which can cause intestinal injury and death. These plastics are then transferred up the food chain to bigger fish, marine mammals, and human seafood eaters. A recent study found that a quarter of fish at markets in California contained plastic in their guts, mostly in the form of plastic microfibers.
When plastic ends up in the environment, it tends to bind with environmental pollutants. As plastic moves through the food chain, the attached toxins can also move and accumulate in animal fat and tissue through a process called bioaccumulation. Chemicals are often added to plastic during the production process to give them some desired properties. These chemicals can leak from the plastic, even when the plastic is inside the animal's body.
The role of plastic in bioaccumulation of toxins is quite small compared to exposure via the animals' normal food. Animals that excrete swallowed plastic may actually cleanse their bodies because toxins present in the body have attached themselves to the plastic. However, it is a different story for plastic additives. Unlike PCBs and dioxins, these substances have not accumulated in the food chain over the decades. For example, when Japanese researchers found a particular flame retardant in the tissues of seabirds, it was certain that it came from swallowed plastic to which the flame retardant was once added.
There is growing concern about the presence of toxins in human bodies and their potential effects. While the consequences of microplastic ingestion for both humans and animals are dire, there are efforts to decrease the amount of microplastics emitted into the environment. For example, the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 bans microplastics in products that may be at risk of being ingested, such as toothpaste and cosmetic products.
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Plastic waste is transported in the air and found in household dust, contaminating water
Plastic waste is transported by wind and water, and has been found in household dust, drinking water, and the air we breathe. It poses a significant threat to wildlife, with millions of animals killed by plastics every year.
Transport of Plastic Waste in Air and Water
Plastic waste is transported through the air and water, reaching even the most remote places on Earth, from the highest peak of Mount Everest to the deepest trough of the Mariana Trench. Once plastic waste enters rivers and oceans, it is difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve. Ocean currents and winds can carry plastic waste across the globe, breaking it down into smaller and smaller particles known as microplastics. These microplastics are spread throughout the water column and have been detected in drinking water systems and the air.
Plastic Waste in Household Dust
Microplastics have been detected in indoor dust from 12 countries, according to a study. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC) microplastics were found at concentrations of 38-120,000 µg/g and 0.11-1700 µg/g, respectively. This has raised concerns about the potential impact on human health, especially for infants, who may ingest indoor dust.
Impact of Plastic Waste on Animals
Plastic waste has detrimental effects on both marine and land animals. Marine animals, such as seabirds and turtles, often mistake small plastic fragments for food, leading to suffocation, starvation, and toxic contamination. Microplastics, due to their microscopic size, can easily pass through the digestive systems of animals without being expelled, resulting in intestinal blockages and internal organ damage. Additionally, larger plastic items can entangle marine mammals and fish, restricting their movement and making them vulnerable to predators.
Land animals, including elephants, hyenas, zebras, and other large mammals, have also suffered fatal consequences from ingesting plastic waste. Intestinal blockages and internal bleeding have been reported, leading to unnecessary deaths. Furthermore, microplastics in soil and water sources can contaminate the food we grow, impacting terrestrial animals and ultimately reaching humans through the food chain.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic waste is incredibly harmful to all wildlife and even humans. It can cause intestinal injury, intestinal blockages, and damage to internal organs, and it can also choke and starve animals. It can enter the marine food web and contaminate the human food chain as well.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California, is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world. It has 180 times more plastic than marine life, and animals migrating through or inhabiting this area are likely consuming plastic in the patch. For example, sea turtles can mistake floating plastic garbage for food, and it has been found that up to 74% of their diets can be composed of ocean plastics.
While cleaning up plastic islands can be challenging and costly, efforts are being made to address the issue. Individuals and international organizations are working to prevent the Great Pacific Garbage Patch from growing, and projects such as the Ocean Cleanup project have removed millions of kilograms of trash from the patch. Reducing plastic pollution at its source, improving disposal and recycling practices, and supporting organizations dedicated to protecting the environment can also help mitigate the impact of plastic islands on animals.
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