Dead albatross had gutful of plastic, Dunedin New Zealand

April 21, 2009 at 11:10 pm · Filed under Plastic Soup

By Brian Williams
December 30, 2008 12:00am
An albatross chick has been found dead with 272 pieces of plastic in its gut.
The haul included a cigarette lighter, nine bottle tops, 10 lids, a lollipop stick, twine, fishing line, a fork and a toy wheel.
It was found at Dunedin, New Zealand, but Australian wildlife carers said the 250g load was no surprise.
They routinely find animals such as marine turtles and seabirds dying from plastic-clogged stomachs.
Albatross are found mainly in colder southern waters but injured birds often stray as far north as Fraser Island.
Australian Seabird Rescue spokesman Keith Williams yesterday said he had seen 180 different kinds of plastic pulled from the gut of a marine turtle.
“It’s an awful lot of plastic and shows just how much is out there,” Mr Williams said. “We have to draw the line on disposable plastic.”
Mr Williams said so much plastic was floating in the so-called North Pacific garbage patch – where circulating currents meet – that it covered an area the size of Texas. It holds an estimated 6kg of plastic for every 1kg of animal life.
Australia produces more than 60kg for every person each year and much of it ends up in landfill or oceans.

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Plastic Soup The impact of plastic on the world’s oceans

April 21, 2009 at 10:20 am · Filed under Plastic Soup

The following article was kindly researched and written by Adrienne Kholer.

The ocean is the life support system for our planet. It provides much of the air we breathe, much of the food we eat and serves as the basis of our ecosystem.
Degradation of this support system, caused by marine debris, climate change, overfishing, pollutants, and habitat destruction, is exacting a price we can no longer afford to pay. Our ocean cannot protect us unless it is healthy and resilient and, sadly, our ocean sick.
Sources of Marine Debris

Plastic debris originates from a wide range of sources Estimates suggest around 80% of marine debris originate from land-based sources and the
remaining 20% is from ocean-based sources.
The effect of coastal littering and dumping is compounded by vectors such as rivers and storm drains discharging litter from inland urban areas. Huge volumes of non-organic wastes, including plastics and synthetics, are produced in more developed, industrialised countries. Conversely, in less developed and more rural economies, generally a much smaller amount of these non-biodegradable persistent wastes are produced. However, in the future, as less developed countries become more industrialised, it is likely that they will also produce more plastic and synthetic wastes and this will increase further the threat of pollution of the marine environment.

Tourism related litter at the coast: this includes litter left by beach goers such as food and drink packaging, cigarettes and plastic beach toys.

Sewage Related Debris: this includes water from storm drains and combined sewer overflows which discharge waste water directly into the sea or rivers during heavy rainfall. These waste waters carry with them garbage such as street litter, condoms and syringes.
Fishing Related debris: this includes fishing lines and nets, fishing pots and strapping bands from bait boxes that are lost accidentally by commercial fishing boats or are deliberately dumped into the ocean
Waste from ships and boats: this includes rubbish which is accidentally or deliberately dumped overboard.

While the types of debris are as diverse as the products found around
the world, it all shares a common origin – people

Toxicity
Plastics may be releasing pollutants because of their original additive components. Additives like, Nonylphenols, PBDEs, Phthalates, and Bisphenol A (BPA), are added to plastic during production to catalyze monmers into polymers and give it different properties like flexibility, durability and UV resistance. Some of these chemicals are considered hormone-disrupters.
These chemicals have the potential to be released from plastics  and enter the marine environment. Additives even contaminate the foods they are designed to protect. As an example, BPA has been linked with cancer and “mimics the activity of the endocrine disrupting chemicals. New research also demonstrates that plastics absorb, transport, and desorb hydrophobic pollutants. Nonylphenols, PCBs, DDT and DDE are three of the hydrophobic
pollutants that are carried or absorbed by plastic particles and released by plastic debris

Top  10  Debris Items Collected Worldwide
2007 Ocean Conservancy’s Interantional
Coastal Clean-up

Cigarettes/cigarette filters 1,971,551
Food wrappers/containers 693,612
Caps/lids   656,612
Bags    587,827
Beverage bottles (plastic) 494,647
Cups/plates/cutlery  376,294
Beverage bottles (glass)  349,143
Cigar tips   325,893
Straws/Stirrers   324,680
Beverage Cans   208,292

Total Top 10 debris worldwide 6,088,027
Top 10 debris worldwide 7,238,201

Marine pollution is pervasive
Marine pollution is one of the most significant environmental problems facing mankind. Two thirds of the Earth is covered by interconnected oceans,making marine debris a global issue. It is found floating in all the world’s oceans, from the polar regions to the equator.

Marine debris is defined as any manmade object discarded, disposed of or abandoned that enters the coastal or marine environment. It may enter from a ship, or when washed out to sea via rivers, streams and storm drains. Since the 1960s, plastics have become the major cause of marine pollution. Our use of natural materials has been largely replaced with durable, highly  buoyant synthetic items.  Between 1960 and 2000, the world production of plastic resins increased 25-fold, while recovery of the material remained below 5%. Between 1970 and 2003, plastics became the fastest growing segment of the US municipal waste stream, increasing nine-fold, and marine litter is now 60–80% plastic, reaching 90–95% in some areas. Plastics are now used virtually
everywhere. They are durable, lightweight, cheap, and can be made into virtually anything. It is the very properties that make plastics so useful, their stability and resistance to degradation, that causes them to be so harmful when they are discarded.

60 billion tons of plastic are produced
yearly and most of this for single use

Once they enter the ocean these products – such as cigarette filters, food wrappers, beverage bottles and cans, grocery and trash bags, and fishing line, nets and gear – can travel for hundreds of thousands of miles on ocean currents, posing a threat to ocean ecosystems and wild- life along the way.

Plastics persist in the environment and do readily degrade by natural biological mechanisms. However, plastics in the ocean are weathered; broken up either mechanically or by the action of sunlight into smaller and smaller fragments. Eventually, these are  reduced to into tiny pieces the size of grains of sand.  These particles have been found suspended in seawater and on the seabed in sediments. Even such tiny particles may be causing harm to the marine environment since they are ingested by small sea creatures and may concentrate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in the seas.

No one knows the true length of time it will take for these plastic pieces to biodegrade, but researchers estimate that it could be several centuries. This is alarming, especially considering that 60 billion tons of plastic are being produced every year, and most of this for single use.

How long does trash take to decompose?
*A tin can that entered the ocean in
1986 is still decomposing in 2036
*A plastic bottle that entered the
ocean in 1986 is decomposing in
2436
*A glass bottle that entered the ocean
in 1986 is decomposing in year
1,001,986

Solutions
There are a number of global, international and national initiatives in place that are aimed at protecting the oceans from marine debris. The most far reaching of these is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships (MARPOL). Annex V of MARPOL was introduced in 1988 with the intention of banning the dumping of most garbage and all plastic materials from ships at sea. A total of 122 countries have ratified the treaty. There is some evidence that the implementation of MARPOL has reduced the marine debris problem but other research shows that it does not appear to have any positive impact. It must also be remembered that an estimated 80% of marine debris originates from sources on land. Even with total global compliance with MARPOL these sources would remain.Other measures to address marine debris include manual clean-up operations of shorelines and the sea floor as well as school and public education programmes. While the
above measures are important at preventing or reducing the problem of marine debris, the ultimate solution to waste prevention is to implement a responsible waste strategy, namely the concept of “Zero Waste” . Such a strategy encompasses waste reduction, reuse and recycling as well as producer responsibility and ecodesign. Ultimately, this would mean reduction of the use of plastics and synthetics such that they are only used where absolutely necessary and where they have been designed for ease of recycling within existing recovery infrastructure. It is possible that biode-
gradable plastics could be used where plastic was deemed necessary but could not be seen as an environmentally  sound alternative unless they are known to break down rapidly to non-hazardous substances in natural environ-
ments.However, the vast majority of debris cannot be removed due to its small size and abundance. By focusing efforts on urban areas, we focus on the most significant sources and conveyances of debris. Since there is no viable way to clean up the small plastic particles once they reach waterways,
especially the ocean, the best way to begin mitigating the marine debris problem is to stop the flow of debris to the marine environment.

Plastic Recycling
Only 3-5% of plastic is currently recycled. There are seven different types of plastics in general use, all of which have numbers with the recycling triangle symbol. However, of those seven, only two can actually be recycled.
Plastics with the number 1 triangle that makes up water and soda bottles, and
the number 2 triangle that is used for milk jugs, are the only plastics that can be recycled at this time. Also, recycling plastic is different from recycling other products like glass and aluminum that can be made back into the products they were before. Recycled plastics cannot be used for food again because plastic melts at low temperatures, so chemicals and residue of past contents remain in the plastic. The plastics’ molecular composition changes, its quality degrades, and the range of its usefulness shrinks.20 Plastics cannot be melted at higher temperatures because this process releases toxins into the air. So recycled plastic must be downgraded and enter items that will not normally come into contact with food products. A milk jug can not be recycled into a new milk jug unless a new layer of virgin plastic is put on the inside of the jug to protect the milk from the chemicals absorbed by the recycled plastic. Virgin plastic is cheaper to use than recycled plastic, so most manufacturers opt for the virgin material. Most of this recycled plastic becomes clothing or carpet that goes to the landfill once its second use is finished. Some of the lower quality plastic that has been ‘recycled’ is actually shipped to Asia, where it goes into landfills

The need for educational awareness
Much of the marine debris arises from conscious acts of littering or dumping by individuals. Each person throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic per year. The natural tendency when littering is to be rid of one’s garbage as fast as possible. Once a product is purchased, then consumed, the left over bi-product becomes garbage that a person naturally seeks to rid himself or herself of as quickly as possible. If there are no garbage or recycling bins nearby, the average person will drop it after a short period of time. Plastics’ lightweight makes it prone to flying away even if it does land in a proper trash
receptacle. Providing easy access collection receptacles, thus not requiring people to make a special trip is a cost-effective
way to mitigate natural tendencies.

Communication is essential. Since human behavior is the major cause of marine debris, it is important to educate the public about the problems, so that the average person does not just drop their trash, but waits to find a garbage bin or preferably a recycling container to throw away unwanted product. The message needs to be clear and delivered in an effective way to reach the target audience. The presence of debris along shorelines can lead to serious economic problems for regions that are dependent on tourism. For example, California has a $46 billion ocean tourism industry and the trashed beaches are having a detrimental effect. The cost of removing the polluted debris reaches millions of dollars every year. Managing solid waste has high costs for both collecting it and its ultimate recycling and disposal. Reducing the wastes generated in the first place is the most cost effective means to address the issue, as less waste reduces both the costs of managing it and the chances for debris being released.

Harm to Wildlife
Countless marine animals and sea birds become entangled in marine debris or ingest it. This can cause them serious harm and often results in their death.  Marine debris which is known to cause entanglement includes derelict fishing gear such as nets and mono-filament line and also six-pack rings and
fishing bait box strapping bands. This debris can cause death by drowning, suffocation, strangulation, starvation through reduced feeding efficiency, and injuries. Particularly affected are seals and sea lions, probably due to their very inquisitive nature of investigating objects in their environment. Entangle-
ment rates in these animals of up to 7.9% of a population have been recorded. Furthermore, in some instances entanglement is a threat to the recovery of already reduced population sizes. An estimated 58% of seal and sea lion species are known to have been affected by entanglement including the Hawaiian monk seal, Australian sea lions, New Zealand fur seals and species in the Southern Ocean.

Whales, dolphins, porpoises, turtles, manatees and seabirds have all been reported to have suffered from entanglement. Many different species of whale and turtle have been reported to have been tangled in plastic. Manatees have been found with scars or missing flippers due to entanglement. 51 species of
seabirds are also known to have been effected . Derelict fishing gear also causes damage to coral reefs when nets or lines get snagged by the reef and break it off.

* Filter – feeding animals, mucous web feeding jellies and salps, are found to be heavily impacted by plastic fragments. The smaller the fragments, the fewer of them were found to be free floating, indicating that filter feeders had caught them.

* Filter feeders are at the lower end of the food chain, and fifty species of fish and many turtles are known to eat them, thus accumulating plastics in their stomachs.

* Plastic materials accumulate and concentrate organic chemicals and environmental pollutants up to one million times their concentration in the surrounding sea water.

Ingestion of Marine Debris
Ingestion of marine debris is known to particularly effect sea turtles and seabirds but is also a problem for marine mammals and fish. Ingestion is generally thought to occur because the marine debris is mistaken for prey. Most of that erroneously ingested is plastic. Different types of debris are ingested by marine animals including plastic bags, plastic pellets and fragments of plastic that have been broken up from larger items. The biggest threat from ingestion occurs when it blocks the digestive tract, or fills the stomach, resulting in malnutrition, starvation and potentially death. Studies have shown that a high proportion (about 50 to 80%) of sea turtles found dead
are known to have ingested marine debris. This can have a negative impact on turtle populations. In young turtles, a major problem is dietary dilution in which debris takes up some of the gut capacity and threatens their ability to take on necessary quantities of food. For seabirds, 111 out of 312 species are known to have ingested debris and it can affect a large percentage of a  population (up to 80%). Moreover, plastic debris is also known to be passed to the chicks in regurgitated food from their parents. One harmful effect from plastic.

Ghost Fishing
Discarded or lost fishing nets and pots can continue to trap and catch fish even when they are no longer in use. Known as ghost fishing, it can result in the capture of large quantities of marine organisms. Consequently, it has become a concern with regard to conservation of fish stocks in some areas and has resulted in economic losses for fisheries.

“The base of the marine food chain is being displaced by a non-digestible, non-nutritive component which is actually out-weighing and out-numbering the natural food. “
Charles Moore, Captain, ORV Alguita; Founder.

Potential Invasion of Alien Species
Plastic debris which floats on the oceans can act as rafts for small sea creatures to grow and travel on. Plastic can travel for long distances and therefore there is a possibility that marine animals and plants have been found in the oceans in areas remote from their source. This represents a potential threat for the marine environment should an alien species become established. It is postulated that the slow speed at which plastic debris crosses oceans makes it an ideal vehicle for this. The organisms have plenty of time to adapt to different water and climatic conditions.

The Ocean Garbage Dumps

The North Pacific Central Gyre has six times by weight more plastic particles than zooplankton exist in this location.Hence the common nickname for this region is the “Eastern Garbage Patch”, as the gyre traps and holds the trash unwittingly discarded by humans.

Many studies have been carried out in different countries and oceans estimating the quantity of plastic on beaches, the sea floor, in the water column, and on the sea surface. Most of these studies have focused on large
(macro) debris. A limited body of literature also exists concerning small to microscopic particles (micro debris). The results show that marine debris is ubiquitous in the world’s oceans and shorelines. Higher quantities are found in the tropics and in the mid-latitudes compared to areas towards the poles. It has been noted that high quantities are often found in shipping lanes, around fishing areas and in oceanic convergence zones. studies on different areas of the marine environment reported quantities of floating marine debris that were generally in the range of 0-10 items of debris per km2. Higher values were reported in the English Channel (10-100+ items/km2) and Indonesia (more than 4 items in every m2). Floating micro debris has been measured at much higher levels: the North Pacific Gyre, a debris convergence zone, was found to contain maximum levels, that when extrapolated, represent, near to a million items per square kilometre

The North Pacific Central Gyre is a convergence zone with high atmospheric pressure, thus having weak currents and winds. With little current moving the water, marine debris that has been circulating in the oceans gets caught in these gyres (six in all). The Algalita Marine Research Foundation has performed multiple studies in the North Pacific Central Gyre and has found that six times by weight more plastic particles than zooplankton exist in this location.8 Hence the common nickname for this region is the “Eastern Garbage Patch”, as the gyre traps and holds the trash unwittingly discarded by humans. Plastics have been found throughout the ocean water column. Some plastic is buoyant (it floats), some neutrally buoyant, while other plastic is heavier and sinks. The plastic particles that float will circulate through the ocean currents, often travelling great distances as can be seen from the variety of debris on various coast lines. Uninhabited islands have some of the worst marine debris problems (as in the case of Kure Atollcurrents along their borders washing up debris from inhabited places.

The seabed, especially near to coastal regions, is also contaminated predominantly with plastic bags. Plastic is also found coastlines from populous regions to the shores of very remote uninhabited islands.
Research has shown that marine debris was present on the seafloor in several locations in European waters, and also in the USA, Caribbean and Indonesia. In European waters the highest quantity recorded was 101,000 items/km2 and in Indonesia the equivalent of 690,000 items/ km2. Surveys of shorelines around the world have recorded the quantity of marine debris either as the number of items per km of shoreline or the number of items per square meter of shoreline. The highest values reported were for Indonesia (up to 29.1 items per m) and Sicily (up to 231 items per m).

Uninhabited islands have some of the worst marine debris problems just from the currents along their borders washing up debris from inhabited places.

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