Acummulation of Plastic Wastes in Ocean
By Hayden Choe
Embedded Files
The definition of accumulation is a mass or quantity of something that has gradually gathered or been acquired. In this case, the accumulation of plastic waste defined as a large quantity of plastic wasted has been moved to the ocean. When plastic waste is tossed around, they get broken down into tiny pieces, called microplastices. Microplastics are detected in food that humans consume or in the air humans breath. Those may accumulate in the body and cause an immune response or trigger local particle toxicity.
The accumulation of plastic waste in the ocean is carried by wastewater, wind, rain, and floods. Especially, single-use plastic bags, straws, cotton buds, or wrappers-which, are lightweight, and easy to get carried by wind. Studies have shown that people produce around 350 million tons of plastic waste each year, and 0.5 percent of that plastic waste ends up in the ocean. You might think that o.5 percent is a small number, but it is 0.5 percent among 350 million tonnes of plastic waste which is a tremendous amount.
To avoid human health problems, and our planet’s health in their climate, decreasing the amount of plastic waste we use daily is important. I believe these ten ways help reduce the usage of plastic waste:
Wean yourself off single-use plastics (use reusable materials)
Stop buying bottled water (bring your reusable bottle)
Boycott microbeads
Cook more
Purchase items secondhand
Recycle
Support a bag tax or ban
Buy in bulk and look for eco-friendly packaging
Choose clothing made from natural fibers
Put pressure on manufacturers
Just by trying one or a few of these ways, it helps our environment to stay healthy (by not using a lot of plastic waste)
Work cited
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “A Guide to Plastic in the Ocean.” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, 20 Sept. 2018, oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/marinedebris/plastics-in-the-ocean.html.
Lee, Yongjin, et al. “Health Effects of Microplastic Exposures: Current Issues and Perspectives in South Korea.” Yonsei Medical Journal, U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10151227/.
Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. “How Much Plastic Waste Ends up in the Ocean?” Our World in Data, 28 Dec. 2023, ourworldindata.org/how-much-plastic-waste-ends-up-in-the-ocean.
“¿De Dónde Proceden Los Plásticos Que Inundan Los Océanos?” Iberdrola, Iberdrola, 22 Apr. 2021, www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/how-does-plastic-get-into-the-ocean.
“Large-220604_Guatemala_Helicopter_Val_S5_pic_324-Scaled.Jpg.” The Recorder, centralrecorder.org/84380/opinion/plastics-in-the-ocean-and-us/attachment/large-220604_guatemala_helicopter_val_s5_pic_324-scaled-jpg/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2024.
“Homepage.” Innovation News Network, 17 Sept. 2024, www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/.
Engler, Sarah. “10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution.” Plastic Pollution Solutions, 3 July 2024, www.nrdc.org/stories/10-ways-reduce-plastic-pollution
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse