News Article - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

 PLASTIC BECOMING PART OF OUR DAILY DIETS?!

Over the years garbage has been building up in the ocean and we have left it to build up for long enough and the horrifying effects of our actions are starting to reveal. Your toothbrush, your water bottle, the wrapper on that chocolate bar you ate, where did it go after you threw it in the bin or dumped on the side of the road? Every year on average 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean through rivers and streams. That 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic end up in The great pacific garbage patch is a massive patch of rubbish just floating in the middle of the ocean and this is only one of the 5 massive patches of rubbish. This floating island of rubbish measures 1.6 million square kilometres, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France. It is estimated to have 80,000 tonnes of rubbish which is almost equivalent to the weight of 115,000 full grown elephants, WOW. 

You may be thinking how the hell does 80,000 tonnes of rubbish end up in a big clump in the middle of the ocean? This is due to the water currents pushing all of the rubbish further out to sea, the rubbish then gets trapped once they enter a gyre (Circular currents) that is how the rubbish ends up on a scarily massive island.Once they enter the gyre it isn't likely for the rubbish to escape the area until the plastics degrade into smaller pieces (microplastics) under the extent of the sun, or get washed away by waves or ingested by marine life. 

So now we know what the problem is and how it got there, but why is it a problem at all, why should we care that there are tonnes of plastic floating around in the ocean? This is where the big problem of microplastics comes in (Tiny plastic particles.) Effectively, the ocean is becoming plastic soup. All our waterways lead out into the ocean so not only are we polluting our ocean we are polluting our water supply as well. It has been proven that microplastics have been found in our drinking water. A recent study by OrbMedia analyzed 159 water samples, sourced from both tap water and bottled water in 14 countries, and found that over 80% of all samples contained tiny plastic particles, with an average of 4.34 plastic particles per liter of water. Not only has it been found in our water supply but it is also affecting the food and crop that we consume, It has been confirmed that The number of microplastics in pre-cooked, vacuum-packed instant rice could be as high as 13 mg per serve.

Every living and breathing person has probably consumed microplastics by now, but what does that mean for us, is it something that can cause extreme health effects? Because we are new to the knowledge of microplastics, researchers don't know for sure what effects microplastics have on our health. But “there can be no effect,” says Pete Myers, founder and chief scientist of the nonprofit Environmental Health Sciences and an adjunct professor of chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University. Digesting microplastics likely exposes us to chemicals that the plastics contain which are known to be harmful to humans. These chemicals have been linked to a wide range of health issues, including reproductive harm and obesity, as well as organ problems and developmental delays in children. 

So we know that plastics and waste we produce can all come back to bite us in the ass, but what effect does it have on marine life and the environment and what does it contribute towards climate change and global warming? The most direct effect of the garbage patch is on marine life that populate in areas of pollution. Due to the size and colour of the plastics fish and other aquatic animals easily mistake the plastic for food and once it enters their digestive system it can cause a lot of harm. Some of the most important animals that take part in caring for our environment are whales and dolphins, and it's been recorded that at minimum 300,000 whales and dolphins are slaughtered each year according to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). This is due to the effects of habitat loss, rubbish, and by catch. Dolphins and whales not only look after ocean but our whole ecosystem, when they resurface for air they release phytoplankton which plays a key role in absorbing carbon dioxide.But due to the decreasing population of whales and dolphins less phytoplankton is  being released when whales resurface for air, meaning that less phytoplankton are absorbing the excessive amount of carbon dioxide polluting our atmosphere.