Dead whales with stomachs full of plastic. Dead seabirds that ate polymer caps, mistaking them for something edible. Turtles entangled in torn plastic bags and starved to death. People create about 300 million tonnes of polymer waste each year, of which up to 2.5 million tonnes ends up in the ocean.
Angelina Jolie recently visited Duke’s “Death to the Living, Long Live Trash” exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City. The exhibition is a kind of reinterpretation of maritime folk art. Exhibits created from trash removed from the ocean illustrate plastic pollution destroying ecosystems.
UBIQUITOUS PLASTIC
To begin with, no one knows more or less exactly how much plastic there is in the world oceans. Nevertheless, scientists do not eat their bread in vain, and the approximate figures are still voiced. For example, the Australian Science Agency believes that about 9.25–15.87 million tonnes of microplastics have accumulated on the ocean floor. For the sheer volume of the entire world’s oceans, maybe that is not a very big number. But to understand the scale of the disaster, I will say that 16 million tonnes is the total weight of the corn harvest of all the countries of the European Union in the 2022/23 marketing year.
An even better illustration of the problem of human waste in the ocean is the so-called ‘greatgarbage patch’. In fact, there are five such islands — two each in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and one in the Indian Ocean. The area of just one big Pacific garbage island is 0.7–1.5 000 000 km2. Now let us compare it to real big islands. Thus, the area of Great Britain is about 244 000 km2, Japan — 378 000 km2. That is, the amount of Pacific garbage alone is enough to cover 3–6 layers of the UK and 2–4 layers of Japan!
Besides, plastic drifting in the oceans gets into the food chain. Absolutely all marine and coastal inhabitants suffer! From plankton and mollusks to fish, turtles, mammals and birds! They risk death from poisoning, suffocation, and starvation! Plastic waste blocks algae, corals, and mangroves from accessing oxygen and light!
Neither can a person feel safe. Water contaminated by plastic can cause hormonal changes, developmental disorders, reproductive abnormalities and cancer.
First, marine waste contains poisonous substances — DDT (depending on the dose can cause poisoning and even death), PAHs (many of which are strong chemical carcinogens) and PCBs (simply dangerous to all life).
Secondly, most polymers are the smallest particles up to 5 mm. It is very difficult to filter out such small particles. Consequently, they are easily transported by water, enter the bodies of animals, and are deposited in the soil. After all, plastic ends up on our table with our drinks, our food, and our table salt! What can I say, we are breathing plastic!
Several coastal states have already reported finding microplastics in the bodies of their residents. However, there is no unequivocal opinion on how plastic affects human health. Thus, as usual, the World Health Organization (WHO) is still over-insured, claiming that microplastics is unproven to be dangerous. I bet they are! According to the UN, only 20 companies produce half of all polymers for disposable goods. And $300 billion in shares of the parent companies of single-use plastic manufacturers are also in the hands of 20 asset managers. These are huge amounts of people with equally huge capabilities.
WHO experts note that the current concentration of microplastics in drinking water is not dangerous for humans. And when this concentration increases several times, what do they say then? It is already known that plasticizers are directly linked to puberty disorders and infertility problems!
HOW TO STOP BEING AFRAID
But if the world’s chief medical experts turn a blind eye to the issue of microplastics’ impact on human health, then let’s look at the economic losses that lead to poverty and, ultimately, to human illness.
Ocean areas contaminated by waste become unsuitable for tourism, fishing, other seafood, and in general for any economic activity. As a result, the annual economic loss from ocean contamination is about $6 billion to $19 billion.
No one knows yet how to get rid of plastic trash. Repeated attempts have been made to remove waste from the ocean mechanically. I’ve even seen a few designs for special trash collection ships. But that will never completely solve the problem. Even the fastest activists can’t keep up with the pace of contamination. In 2019, for example, the Keisei Expedition cleaned up 40 tonnes of plasticwaste in the Pacific Ocean. It is a noble undertaking, but against the backdrop of millions of tonnes of drifting trash, it doesn’t look very convincing.
It is probably impossible to completely abandon plastic. It is too important to industry and consumers. Incinerating waste polymers is also very bad for the environment. Today, only 20% of the plastic produced is recycled. Perhaps it is here that we should look for reserves to solve the problem.
In the meantime, just try to use as few polymers as possible at home. Forget plastic bags and containers, don’t use disposable plastic utensils. Get separate containers for plastic waste and personally send it for recycling. Encourage environmentally responsible behavior from friends and neighbours. Teach your children to do that.
Remember, the UN predicts that ocean contamination will more than double by 2030 and triple by 2040. What then would be the consequences of a trash attack on biodiversity, climate, human health, and the world economy?
In conclusion, I would like to say thank you to all the participants and staff of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which does so much to combat plastic contamination in the world’s oceans. In particular, it supports and finances various initiatives aimed at reducing pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Over the years, I have contributed more than €1.3 million to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. I am sure these funds helped scientists and activists a lot in their important work for all of us.
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