The first step towards a plastic pollution solution is learning how to reduce plastic use. This range of responses is necessary for such a global problem with such local variation, but to ensure plastic waste does not fall through the holes in the net of. May 10, 2018 plastic pollution activities may 10, 2018 october 28, 2017 by laurie eavey csmc partners with many other nonprofit organizations to educate our community and influence legislation to reducing plastic pollutions in our oceans. Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into micro, meso, or macro debris, based on size. Pollution is a negativeundesirable change in the environment, usually the addition of something hazardous or detrimental. Environmental pollution is any discharge of material or energy into water, land, or air that causes or may cause acute shortterm or chronic longterm detriment to the earths ecological balance or that lowers the quality of life. Ecological and human health impacts 1science for environment policy indepth reports plastic waste. The section on pollution and marine debris includes five downloadable activities and games regarding biomagnification, effects o land use in watershed, modern and historic sources of pollution to a body of water, effect of plastic on beaches and beach contamination.
Plastic pollution occurs in many forms, including but not limited to littering, marine debris manmade waste that has released in a lake, sea, ocean, or water way, plastic particle water pollution, plastic netting and friendly floaters. The impact of plastic pollution through ingestion and entanglement of marine fauna, ranging from zooplankton to cetaceans, seabirds and marine reptiles, are well documented 14. Plastic pollution is a global problem that is growing exponentially due to both an increase in consumerism and an increase in the number of plastics used to manufacture the things we use on a daily basis. Rise above plastics is designed to eliminate the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and by advocating for a reduction of singleuse plastics and the recycling of all plastics. Stop the use of plastic bags and use bags of degradable materials like paper and cloth. Plasticfree activist beth terry shares her journey learning to live a plasticfree life.
Last week seas at risk published a report highlighting the scale of disposable plastic use across europe. Environmental pollution, types, causes, impact and management. Environment pollution is a widereaching problem and it is likely to influence the health of human populations is great. Introduction the word plastic is derived from the greek plastikos meaning capable of being shaped or molded.
This book describes plastic pollution, especially as it effects the worlds oceans, and offers solutions to. Plastic pollution facts and figures surfers against sewage. Pdf mapping plastic pollution see below to download individual grade levels. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular weight, and may contain other substances to improve performance andor reduce. Plastic bag pollution by sharon jacobsen every year, around 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. Follow these steps to do your part in keeping our earth a cleaner place. As plastic is composed of major toxic pollutants, it has the potential to cause significant harm to the environment in the form of air, water, and land pollution.
Pdf plastic waste, plastic pollution a threat to all. The amount of plastic bags we use is important because once we throw the plastic bags away they will just pile up and create pollution, which is harmful to the environment because how we dispose of the plastic bags isnt really going to help due to. The great pacific garbage patch is located in the north pacific gyre off the coast of california and is the largest ocean garbage site in the world. Plastics are persistent largescale pollutants, and plastic debris such as bottles, straws, containers, and plastic wrap and particulates have been found in many environmental niches, from mount everest to the bottom of the sea. Were using more plastic than ever, its durable, cheap to produce and were consuming it at staggering rates. So many that over one million bags are being used every minute and theyre damaging our environment. The pollution found in the patch ranges from pieces of abandoned fishing nets to the small, abrasive plastic pellets found in some household cleaning products. Microplastic can penetrate fishs brains, altering behavior for the first time scientists have shown that the smallest bits of marine plastic pollution called nanoplastic can move up the aquatic food chain and be absorbed. Plastic is an incredibly useful and versatile material that offers ease and convenience.
Different types pollution on earth 9 types of pollution pdf. The plastic pollution can adversely affect lands, waterways and oceans. Research article plastic pollution in the worlds oceans. How i kicked the plastic habit and how you can too by beth terry 2012. Biomedical waste should be collected and incinerated in incinerators. As plastic is composed of major toxic pollutants, it has the potential to cause great harm to the environment in the form of air, water and land pollution. Progress on this issue includes carmel citys passing of an ordinance to require restaurants to serve compostable straws and service ware. Plastic pollution in india causes of plastic pollution due to plastic bags, bottles, containers, recycled plastics are used because they are easy and. The presence of a substance in the environment that because of its chemical composition or quantity prevents the functioning of natural processes and.
Different types pollution on earth 9 types of pollution pdf there are several types of pollution, and while they may come from different sources and have different consequences, understanding the basics about pollution can help environmentally conscious individuals minimize their contribution to these dangers. Big numbers can be daunting so lets put it another way. Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences in the oceans making up about 40 percent of the worlds ocean surfaces. Plastic pollution is of particular concern in coastal areas of developing countries th at lack appropriate waste management policies, but it also represents a major threat to the worlds. Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semi synthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products. Plastic waste has the additional complication of spanning many policy areas, such as marine management, coastal management, waste management and the regulation of chemicals. Over 90% of seabirds and almost all sea turtle species have been found with plastic in their stomachs. When plastic products accumulate in the environment, they begin to cause problems. Rajesh kumar mishra, tropical forest research institute.
Plastic is a nonbiodegradable product, with the potential to cause great harm to the environment. This paper provides the insight view about the affects of environment pollution in the perspective of air pollution, water and land soil waste pollution on human by diseases and problems, animals and trees plants. Microplastic can penetrate fishs brains, altering behavior for the first time scientists have shown that the smallest bits of marine plastic pollution called nanoplastic can move up the aquatic food chain and be absorbed by predators brains, affecting their ability to hunt. At present, design practices and recycling technology mean that 80% of plastics have little to no value at the end of life. A 2014 report by the world bank indicated that the municipal solid waste is doubling at an astonishing rate, much of which is categorized as singleuse plastic items. It stays there for a very long time, damaging nature and the ecosystems that support life on earth. Due to its property, plastic gained wide use over the whole world.
The plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife habitat, or humans. This article highlights the effects of plastic pollution, while also telling you about the causes of this problem, and some solutions. Plastic pollution is the introduction of plastic products into the environment which then upset the existing ecosystems in different ways. Then, use this graph to predict how much plastic will be in the oceans by the year 2050 if plastic pollution continues at this rate. Plastic pollution in our oceans the chair of the mornings proceedings, john duncan, described how 93% of plastic marine debris is consumer waste and 80% is generated on land. Other cities in monterey county are working on similar ordinances. The amount of plastic bags we use is important because once we throw the plastic bags away they will just pile up and create pollution, which is harmful to the environment because how we dispose of the plastic bags isnt really going to help due to the amount of time it takes for them to decompose. Put simply, plastic pollution is when plastic has gathered in an area and has begun to negatively impact the natural environment and create problems for plants, wildlife and even human. Jul 27, 2017 air pollution is caused by a wide variety of things. Cfcs come from the burning of plastic foam items leaking refrigerator equipment spray cans. Environmental pollution usually occurs as a result of energy conversions and the use of resources which leaves their byproducts behind in water, soil or air. Reduce plastic pollution by choosing products that do not contain plastic.
Plastic goods, hazardous plastic waste, anthropogenic activities. Another easy action is to bring your reusable bag to the store instead of accepting a plastic bag for every purchase. Plastic pollution we can make things better 1950 2015 plastic waste has a significant impact on the environment every day, a gigantic amount of plastic leaks into the environment, the seas and oceans 5 to million tyear. Use 1930 as the year of zero plastic in the ocean this was the decade when mass production of plastic began. Causes, effects and solutions of plastic pollution paperblog. Unfortunately it is difficult to recycle and takes a very long time to break down naturally. Causes of plastic pollution the reckless dumping of plastic waste is yet one of the environmental topics that has attracted the attention of many conservationists and nations. Causes of water pollution factors that contribute to water pollution can be categorized into two different groups point sources nonpoint sources point sources are the easiest to identify and control non point sources are ambiguously defined and harder to control. Many of these items are singleuse items, which are used once and then tossed in the trash. A plastic bottle in the ocean can last up to 100 years, floating around. This article highlights the effects of plastic pollution, while also telling you about the. Plastic pollution in freshwater and marine environments have been identified as a global problem. Plastic waste was collected and analyzed to see in which form its most commonly found, which toxic chemicals are used to create the plastics, and what recovery systems i. As a symbol of our disposable consumer culture, its legacy can be seen and touched.
Choose a reusable glass water bottle over a plastic one. Radioactive fallout causes air pollution from the nuclear energy dispersed, which is a dust. Plastic pollution, harmful accumulation of synthetic plastic products in the environment. These pollutants cause environmental degradation and also affect different living organisms and their habitats negatively.
Plastic pollution this module1 is intended for elementary or secondary education teachers interested in teaching their classroom about plastic pollution and for anyone interested in learning about the impacts of plastic pollution on our environment and society and actions we can take to diminish this problem. Causes of air pollution carbon dioxide deforestation and fossil fuel burning sulfur dioxide burning of sulfur containing compounds of fossil fuels. Environmental pollution, types, causes, impact and. Although recently there has been a slight decrease in plastic production, this is unlikely to be. What is plastic pollution, its causes and effects natural. Causes, effects and solutions of plastic pollution. Csmc partners with many other nonprofit organizations to educate our community and influence legislation to reducing plastic pollutions in our oceans. At the heart of the problem is one of plastics most valued properties. Its in the sea and on the beach and its causing harm. Technology has begun to solve some pollution problems, and public awareness of the extent of pollution will eventually make government bodies to be more proactive rather than. The book is filled with personal anecdotes, environmental stats, individual solutions and tips on how to limit your plastic footprint. Due to the nonbiodegradable nature of plastic, it is quite dangerous to make our environment polluted with plastics. Real life examples of plastic pollution ecoloblue blog. A large percentage of plastic produced each year is used to make singleuse, disposable packaging items or.
Chlorofluorocarbons cfcs reduces the amount of ozone. Ecological and human health impacts november 2011 plastic waste is a growing concern and the drivers behind it look set to continue. We absorb many types and forms of plastic pollution exist. Plastic pollution is a big question that is posed to the world, right now. Factories, office buildings, homes and powergenerating stations burn fossil fuels, which cause air pollution. Writer donovan hohn notes that while no one would say that plastic pollution is the biggest environmental issue of the day, it is the most iconic because it is completely manmade and never goes away. This air pollution destroys plants, damages buildings and creates oxidation on iron. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular weight, and may contain other substances to improve performance andor reduce costs. The most dangerous and common pollution of the century, should be plastic pollution. Current estimates show that at last 8 million pieces of. Plastic pollution activities communities for sustainable. Plastic pollution and its adverse impact on environment and ecosystem conference paper pdf available december 2018 with 15,750 reads how we measure reads. Plastic are high molecular weight organic polymers which can be moulded into desired shapes by the application of heat and pressure.
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