Plastic Pollution In Our Oceans

As the rate of plastic production exceeds the rate we get rid of it; it will soon overtake our oceans. In 2010 alone, it was estimated that over 300 million tons of new plastics were produced around the world, (QTD. By UC Davis USA on YouTube). Many oceans from North America and Japan are being polluted by our carelessness and are causing our marine life to suffer. Marine mammals such as seals are being found entangled in plastic fishnets and several drown.

It is tragic that the oceans have large amounts of plastic contamination which is causing problems with marine life and beach birds. It is discovered that these animals are mistaking small plastic debris for food, Susan Casey in her article, “Our Oceans Are Turning Into Plastic…Are You?”

Their bodies packed with plastic: things like bottle caps, cigarette lighters, tampon applicators, and colored scraps that, to a foraging bird, resemble baitfish, (Casey, 535). Ingestion of these plastics can cause death, blockage inside the intestines and much more. Most may agree that such a sitting may cause alarm and worry. But what happens when we eat those fish that are digesting these plastic remains? Most people may argue that we can just remove them and be fine, but little these plastic pellets absorb dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides, run-off oil, and PCP’s. In the scientific report, “Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption,” Chelsea Rochman, et al notes this particular situation in this regard: such as that bivalve study indicated a direct connection between the debris and food targeted for human consumption, (Rochman, et al. “Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption”); and 16 out of the 64 of the individual fish in the USA had anthropogenic debris in their GI tract, (Rochman, et al. “Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption”). Meaning we are consuming these chemicals found in the plastics due to the fish ingesting these plastic pellets. Which in turn is very dangerous because these chemicals can cause much damage to the human