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How Does Ocean Pollution Affect The Environment

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Ocean Pollution and the Environment
One of the greatest issues that face mankind is ocean pollution. Discarding waste in the ocean has been a historical practice for centuries. Many falsely assume that because the practice has occurred for so long, and continues to occur so frequently, that it is not a pressing issue. People continue to question the effects of ocean pollution on the environment, and its reality. Ocean Pollution greatly affects our environment, and we can see the effects of this practice through notable changes in water, the overall health of animals, and impacts on humans and the food chain.
Dumping waste into bodies of water has been a practice for centuries. In the agricultural age, nearby streams and lakes were used to deposit, “food wastes, trash, mining wastes, and human wastes (or sewage),” (Engler) because it was convenient and cheap. Although a common worldwide practice, waste dumping did not pose a serious threat until around the Industrial Age, when chemical by-products and waste were introduced into the environment. After many centuries of dumping human waste into the ocean, the very nature of ocean water has been altered. Up until forty …show more content…

One of the common human culinary delicacies is fish. Many of these fish are farmed in toxic waters, poisoned mostly by plastics. Consequently, many of the same toxins that these fish ingest turn to be lethal for humans. Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a chemical contained in certain plastics, “is a toxic carcinogen. Other toxins in plastics are directly linked to cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and childhood developmental issues,” (Andrews). Although ocean pollution may have historically been viewed as an effective way to rid waste, we now see that it affects more than just the ocean-- it threatens the continuation of the human

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