Effects of Plastic Waste on Water Bodies

Plastic is a sheer poison for marine life. Around the world, it has affected at least 267 species, including 86% of sea turtles, 44% of seabird species and 43% of marine mammals. Effects include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning, and entanglement.

More than 1,500 species in marine and terrestrial environments, including fish, seabirds, and mammals, suffer from eating plastics or becoming entangled in fishing nets and debris.

Starvation and Fatalities: Marine life often perishes from starvation with stomachs full of plastic, or from suffocation, infections, and drowning due to entanglement.

Developmental Disruptions: Microplastics cause reproductive issues, reduced growth, and neurotoxicity in aquatic creatures like fish, crabs, and oysters.

A video posted by Britannica on October 3rd, 2024, states that around the mid-Pacific area between North America and Japan, scientist Nicole Agrikropolos is fishing out plastic rubbish from the water. Rubbish which— via the wind and rivers—has landed in the ocean.

Moreover, 70% of marine plastic comes from single-use items like bottles and packaging, alongside abandoned fishing gear. As well as microplastics, 20% of marine plastic leakage comes from microfibers released during laundry, which then enter waterways, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Plastic debris — such as bags and nets—damages habitats, covering coral reefs, inducing diseases, preventing growth, and killing reef ecosystems.

Given the fact that plastics are not biodegradable, they persist in the environment for decades, with many particles accumulating in ocean currents. Plastics also absorb toxins (like PCB and DDT) from the water, which are then ingested by organisms and enter the food chain.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated that in 2019, plastic products were responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 90% of these emissions coming from the production and conversion of fossil fuels into new plastic products.

We can’t also forget about freshwater (rivers, streams, etc.); plastic waste also clogs above these bodies and therefore can leach hazardous chemicals into groundwater sources.

Ultimately, we return back to the first line; plastic is an utter poison to water bodies and marine life. We, as humans, should think before discarding empty plastic bottles or plastic bags onto the land, where it can eventually reach waterways.

References:

Britannica. (2024, October 3). Debris in the Pacific Ocean [Video]. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/video/debris-Pacific-Ocean/-195207

World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). Plastic pollution. WWF. https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/environment/plastic-pollution

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Impacts of plastic pollution. https://www.epa.gov/plastics/impacts-plastic-pollution#:~:text=Plastic%20pollution%20poses%20a%20threat,are%20known%20to%20ingest%20plastics