Crimson Publishers Publish With Us Reprints e-Books Video articles

Abstract

Abstract

Plastic pollution of oceans has become an increasingly widespread and alarming phenomenon, which represents a threat to the future of mankind. Statistical data are disturbing; at least 8 million tons of plastics leak in the ocean every year, a quantity equivalent to dumping in the water one garbage truck of plastic every minute. Consequences on the ecosystem are dramatic. For example, 18 sperm whales beached themselves at a young age (typically, their life span is of 70 years); they were all found to contain pieces of plastic in their stomach. In present, 90% of seabirds have ingested plastics (as compared to 5% in 1960.) Extrapolating available data, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and World Economic Forum anticipate that by 2050, in the San Francisco Bay there would be more plastic in the ocean than fish. In 2016, the total quantity of plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean was estimated to 0.82 trillion kg. Trash accumulates in 5 ocean garbage patches, the largest being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California; it extends over a surface area twice the size of Texas, which equivalates with the overall size of three countries: France, Spain, and Italy. Over 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently litter the ocean. Should it be allowed to circulate, the plastic will impact our ecosystem, health, and economies. Solving this problem requires a combination of closing the source and cleaning up the plastic waste already accumulated in the ocean [1].

Get access to the full text of this article