Article The World's Plastic Pollution Crisis
Article The World's Plastic Pollution Crisis
Article The World's Plastic Pollution Crisis
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P H OTO G R A P H BY R A N DY O L S O N
BAC KG RO U N D I N F O VO C A B U L A RY
Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and
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Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and
development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after
World War II to the extent that life without plastics would be
unimaginable today. Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving
devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel
and lessening pollution—and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and
equipment for clean drinking water.
Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15
years.
Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to
448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050.
Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the
oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five
garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the
world.
Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible,
and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of
products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at
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products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at
least 400 years to break down.
Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth’s last sink, flows from land.
Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which act as conveyor belts,
picking up more and more trash as they move downstream. Once at sea,
much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. But once caught up in
ocean currents, it can be transported around the world.
Microplastics
Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into
small particles, often less than half a centimer (one-fifth of an inch) across.
These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water column
and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest,
the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough.
Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller pieces.
Plastic microfibers (or the even smaller nanofibers), meanwhile, have been
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Plastic microfibers (or the even smaller nanofibers), meanwhile, have been
found in municipal drinking water systems and drifting through the air.
Harm to Wildlife
Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to
other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones,
are known to have been affected by plastics. Nearly every species of
seabird eats plastics.
Tests have also confirmed liver and cell damage and disruptions
to reproductive systems, prompting some species, such as oysters, to
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to reproductive systems, prompting some species, such as oysters, to
produce fewer eggs. New research shows that larval fish are eating
nanofibers in the first days of life, raising new questions about the effects
of plastics on fish populations.
The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in
the first place, many scientists and conservationists—including
the National Geographic Society—say. This could be accomplished with
improved waste management systems and recycling, better product
design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and
reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.
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