Five Trillion Pieces of plastics are floating in the world's ocean, approximately 270, 000 tons of plastics posing as danger to marine life. 80 percent of the world's water's waste comes from the land. These were the latest findings of the scientists in the study published in PLoS One on Dec. 10.
Gizmodo reports that the study was done by scientists coming from different nations including US, New Zealand, Australia, France and Chile and they had found out that over five trillion pieces of plastics weighing 268,940 tons were floating in our water system today.
The data gathered in the study came from 1,571 various places from 24 oceans around the world. The detrimental result revealed that the plastics present in the oceans are what we call "micro plastics" that measure less than 5 millimeters.
The five trillion pieces of plastics in the ocean may not bother us for the moment. But marine animals that depend on the waters for food will surely be affected. For seabirds, plastic pellets may appear like fish eggs. For sea turtles, floating plastics would seem like jelly fish.
What will happen with our marine life today when drifting nets would trap mammals, fish and birds?
Over five trillion pieces of plastics discovered in the ocean were coming from tons of junks that include food and beverage plastic packaging and clothing. The scientists who conducted the study calculated the amount of the plastics present in the ocean in a span of six years from years 2007 to 2013, The Guardians noted.
Plastic pollution in the ocean had caused damaging effect to the sea turtles, whales and seabirds. These marine creatures die of starvation, chocking and poisoning. Have you ever wondered what could be the effect of more than five trillion pieces of plastics in the ocean to human life?
The mounting plastics pose as a threat not only to marine life. Plastics will soon clog, and cause harmful results to the water system. More than five trillion pieces of plastics floating in the ocean contain toxic substances such as plasticizers, antimicrobials and flame retardants that are all harmful to the human system and to the environment.
When chemicals will be ingested by marine animals, their system will be affected. And when people eat fish and shell fish, these harmful chemicals would be transported to the human body that would bring various diseases. This is how the five trillion pieces of plastics in the ocean would affect everything.
So if you are thinking that these five trillion pieces of plastics floating in the ocean will not affect you, you have to think many times. This happening won't just affect you today, but the children of tomorrow.
Based on a research of more than 370 autopsies, one in three leatherbacks of sea turtles contains plastic in their tummies. Do you know how this affects the sea turtles? Studies have shown that these litters make the male fish to have female sex organs due to the excessive estrogens produced when they eat the junks.
With the five trillion pieces of plastics present in the water, the researchers are urging everyone to cooperate in ending the problem. Julia Reisser, a researcher based at the University of Western Australia suggests improving the use of plastics and tracking the plastics in the water as first step to solve the issue.
She added Germany had initiated changes in the use of plastic. Raisser continues, putting responsibility to manufacturers of plastics is one part of the solution to the more than five trillion pieces of plastics floating in the ocean.
