Plastic Pollution Notes

Most plastic in the ocean originates from land-based sources.
- Littering.
- Intentional dumping.
- Runoff from rivers and streams.
Ocean-based sources also contribute.
- Fishing gear lost or intentionally discarded.
- Vessels, including cruise ships and military vessels, sometimes discard waste. There are strict regulations that prohibit ships from throwing anything made of plastic overboard.

Plastic is synthetic and does not biodegrade easily.
It breaks down into smaller fragments but persists in the environment.
Some recent studies suggest certain bacteria may be able to break down plastics, but this is not yet a widespread solution.

There has been a dramatic increase in plastic production since the 1960s.
Plastic is useful due to its strength, lightweight nature, and durability.
However, these same properties make it harmful in the environment.
Recovery rates (recycling, energy production, reuse) are low compared to production rates, leaving a large gap.
Unrecovered plastic ends up in landfills or the ocean.

Nurdles are small plastic resin pellets used in the production of plastic goods.
They are transported worldwide and easily spilled into the environment.
Nurdles are found in increasing concentrations in various environments.
Wildlife, such as seabirds, may ingest them, mistaking them for food like fish eggs.
Nurdles act as sponges for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants.
Ingesting nurdles results in both plastic ingestion and a higher concentration of toxins.

Plastic debris is commonly found on beaches, even in remote areas.
High tide lines often contain numerous plastic pellets and fragments.
Sunlight and waves weaken plastics, causing them to break into smaller, more easily ingested pieces.

Surface currents distribute plastics worldwide.
Plastic is found in high-latitude regions like the Arctic and Antarctica.
Debris from events like the Japanese tsunami can travel long distances via ocean currents.

The North Pacific Gyre's currents (North Equatorial Current, Kuroshio Current, North Pacific Current, California Current) contribute to the formation of garbage patches.
The Coriolis effect causes water and floating debris to be pushed towards the center of the gyre.
There are plastic patches in every gyre on Earth.
These patches are not solid islands but rather diffuse concentrations of plastic.
Plastic particles are often small and submerged, making them difficult to photograph.
Plankton net samples reveal higher concentrations of plastic particles within the patches.

Entanglement in plastic debris.
Ingestion of plastic debris.
Entanglement can cause injury or death.
Sea turtles may mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and ingest them, leading to digestive issues.

Laysan albatrosses are seabirds that spend most of their lives flying over the ocean.
They return to land only to lay eggs and care for their chicks.
Albatross chicks are fed plastic by their parents, which they cannot digest.
This leads to starvation and death.
Research has found albatross carcasses with guts filled with plastic, including bottle caps and other debris.
A National Geographic photo showed a Laysan albatross chick with numerous pieces of plastic in its stomach, including cigarette lighters.

A sei whale washed up on the East Coast of the United States with a piece of DVD case in its digestive system.
The sharp edge of the DVD case caused a cut in the whale's digestive system, likely leading to its death.
This is a notable case linking plastic ingestion to a whale's death, as it's been previously thought that the plastic ingestion was not the cause of death because of how big the whales are.