Ocean Pollution: Global warming, erratic weather patterns, and animal populations deteriorating is the processional effects of human activity. Our oceans are especially vulnerable. In fact, a lot of oceanic pollution is ending up back on our dinner plates! Every year, more than 8 million tons of plastic find their way into our oceans. More than 80% of plastic in the ocean comes from land-based activities such as:
- Illegal dumping,
- Poor waste management of trash on beaches around the globe,
- Microplastics from cosmetic and hygiene products,
- Industrial byproducts from production processes (both legal and illegal),
In fact, the great Pacific garbage patch is off the coast of California and is 4.5 times the size of Germany!
Ocean Pollution: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is comprised of plastic debris adding to ocean pollution. In fact, this isn’t the only garbage patch that we have – there are plastic patches growing in every one of our oceans. While it may be easier for Americans to put their head down and pay no mind, it is affecting us and our global ecosystem in a negative way.
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Death of marine life.
Maine animals like turtles, dolphins, and birds mistake plastic as food and ingest it. This has proven fatal as the plastic blocks their digestive tract and causes the animals to starve.
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Impact on our food chain.
There have also been tests completed that show endocrine-disrupting chemicals within plastic can affect animal reproductive systems. For example, oysters and other animals produce fewer eggs.
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Microplastics are now everywhere.
As plastic undergoes wear and tear from the sea, wind, and sun, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces. These fragments, called microplastics, are found all over our planet. We can’t escape them!
Which Countries Produce the Most Ocean Pollution?
This section was written more for curiosity rather than inciting blame on one or two countries for the predicament we’ve gotten ourselves into. In the end, if we want to change this, we ALL have to pitch in – not just the couple of countries at the top of this list!
Here is that list according to euronews.com:
- India – 126.5 million kg of plastic
- China – 70.7 million kg of plastic
- Indonesia – 56.3 million kg of plastic
- Brazil – 38 million kg of plastic
- Thailand – 22.8 million kg of plastic
- Mexico – 3.5 million kg of plastic
- Egypt – 2.5 million kg of plastic
- USA – 2.4 million kg of plastic
- Japan – 1.8 million kg of plastic
- The UK – 703 thousand kg of plastic.
While this list is interesting, it doesn’t exactly cover the amount of plastic in comparison with the size of the population (source Meijer et al. (April 2021)
In summary, there are already loads of contaminants, plastics, and toxins in our oceans. The kicker is that all of this pollution starts on land! There are simple solutions we can ALL start implementing immediately to avoid tipping the scales to the point of no return, and that would be to minimize take-out containers and plastic bag usage, avoid purchasing bottled water, and lastly, recycle! In many countries, it is mandatory to recycle, and those who don’t are fined. Countries like Singapore, Wales, and Germany have specific government programs in place in order to encourage their citizens to recycle. Maybe this is the next step America can follow!
If you live in the Ozarks and would like to see what contaminants are in your tap or well water, this is something we specialize in – water testing! Get yourself a complementary hassle-free quote on a water filtration system in your home, don’t hesitate to give us a call! (417) 881-4000. We will have one of our techs come out and provide you with a free quote!
About Aquasani Water Purification Systems & Filter Maintenance
Aquasani is an authorized dealer for Rainsoft, WaterLogic, & JavaSmart. Based in Springfield, Mo., and at Lake of the Ozarks / Osage Beach in Missouri, Aquasani services areas in the Ozarks including Osage Beach, Joplin, Camdenton, Aurora and even Jefferson City. In essence, we service Mid-Missouri, Southwest Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas, and have been servicing these areas since 2004. We provide home water softener systems, drinking water filtration systems, whole-house air purification systems, and problem-solving water filtration systems for homes and offices. We also service other water softeners like Culligan, Sterling, Hydroquad, Pro-Series, and Whirlpool to name a few!
Aside from our purification systems, we also sell all-natural cleaning products and household items which are environmentally friendly and low-cost.
We specialize in water filtration and purification for both commercial businesses and residential homes. If that isn’t enough, we provide free trials for our water cooler services. If you would like a free estimate, schedule an appointment with us by calling (417) 881-4000 or (573) 692-4009 if you are in the Lake of the Ozarks area.
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