When the creation of plastic happened in 1862, it was groundbreaking. Originally made as a substitute for ivory (an element found in the horns of elephants), plastic was advertised as better for the environment and as a great alternative. But have we gone too far with this innovation? Plastics have become a widespread material used in almost every country across the world. It also became used in various sectors, from construction to electronics to transportation. But when that plastic is discarded, it can do one of three things:
There are multiple types of plastic, including one-use plastics which cannot be recycled. Plastics that go to landfills mix with rainwater, which combines with the water-soluble compounds contained in plastic (some of which are toxic ) to become a substance called leachate. Leachate is a toxic stew that seeps into the soil beneath the landfill and poisons the ground and nearby bodies of water. Plastics that go to the ocean get there by traveling down local streams and rivers after being thrown onto streets and places other than trash and recycling cans. After months at sea, the plastic finds its way to one of the five plastic-filled gyres in the ocean. Formed by currents drawing in all kinds of pollution, these gyres can be miles long and contain hundreds of tons of trash. Some animals like turtles and sea birds confuse plastic for food, and eat it. Plastic makes them feel full, but because of its lack of nutrients, the animal starves to death. If the animal does not starve, then the plastic eaten by it continues up the food chain, sometimes all the way up to humans. For example, plastic can be eaten by lanternfish, which are eaten by squid, which are eaten by tuna, which are eaten by us. On average, humans consume 40 pounds of plastic over their lifetime. Plastics don't decompose completely, but break down into smaller pieces of plastic called microplastics.
If plastic is recycled, then it goes to a recycling plant where it is crushed into cubes with other plastics and repurposed. Plastic can be repurposed into multiple different objects or materials that are beneficial to our community, like benches, parks, or even more plastic bottles. By recycling, not only can you help minimize the number of materials wasted on creating new plastic, but also the long and short term impacts of plastic on our community and communities aroung the world.
Although plastic is the main water polluter in the ocean, there are other variables in motion. several other commonly used items, like styrofoam, diapers, etc. also end up in the ocean when thrown away. When in the ocean, the elements beat on the materials to help decompose them. While this can make an impact on materials over time, it is not happening quickly enough. Therein lies the issue: material is being dumped into the ocean at a faster rate than there is being decomposed. Because of this, the amount of plastic in our oceans continues to build up.
Some materials, like glass, can take a million years or more to decompose. Even after they do, the materials they are composed of may never completely disappear. Many pollutants are made of matter called synthetic materials. Synthetic materials are the results of chemical changes in natural materials, in which change on an atomic level occurs. Because of this, the polymers and monomers that previously formed the pollutants will not revert back to natural materials or completely disappear.
Copyright © 2022 Water Pollution - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.