The effects of Plastic Bags
Most trashes will end up at the seas. But dissimilar from any other kinds of trash, plastic cannot be biodegraded. It can only photo-degraded with sunlight. As the plastics photo-degrades it breaks into smaller and smaller segments, as a result it may cover the ocean’s surface. Plastics pollution is a problem that we should concern. Plastic occupies 90% of ocean trash on the ocean’s surface.
More than 100,000 marine mammals and million seabirds died because of ingesting or entangles in plastic each year. Many of marine animals such as turtles, seabirds, whales, and seals often misunderstood plastics bags as jellyfish, which is their food. Once eaten plastics cannot be digested and stays in the gut. As a result the plastics prevent food digestion, which lead to death.
Dr. Kathy Townsend a marine biologist from Moreton Bay Research Station, The University of QLD, said that 40% of the turtles that she’s been autopsies have plastics in their intestinal tract. In, 2007 she found a 46cm green turtle that died because of plastics. She found over 50 items in its intestinal tract including plastic bags, cling film, nylon rope, candy wrappers and balloons.
Not only turtles, an eight meters Bryde’s whale also found dead in August 2000 on a Caims beach. The cause of the death of this eight meters Bryde’s whale is because 6 squares meters of plastics found in its stomach. Like any other types of whales, Bryde’s whales feed by swallowing a large amount of water. As they swallow a large amount of water, they also swallow plastics that get into the water.
In indirect way plastic toxins also end up inside our bodies. Because as the plastics photo-degrades it breaks into smaller segments and may covers the ocean’s surface, which means that a lot of fishes would’ve drank the water. And fish end up on our plates. Less than 5% of plastics are recycled worldwide. Plastic bags are made from petroleum, which is a nonrenewable source and that's why it can’t biodegrade. Plastics already took many of sea animal’s life. We have to do something for this problem, or otherwise there will be many more marine animals killed by plastic. Sea turtles may extinct because of this problem. You also don't want to eat fishes that contain toxic from plastics right? Unless you want to get your self, killed because eating too many fish that contains toxic, you better help reduce this problem.
More than 100,000 marine mammals and million seabirds died because of ingesting or entangles in plastic each year. Many of marine animals such as turtles, seabirds, whales, and seals often misunderstood plastics bags as jellyfish, which is their food. Once eaten plastics cannot be digested and stays in the gut. As a result the plastics prevent food digestion, which lead to death.
Dr. Kathy Townsend a marine biologist from Moreton Bay Research Station, The University of QLD, said that 40% of the turtles that she’s been autopsies have plastics in their intestinal tract. In, 2007 she found a 46cm green turtle that died because of plastics. She found over 50 items in its intestinal tract including plastic bags, cling film, nylon rope, candy wrappers and balloons.
Not only turtles, an eight meters Bryde’s whale also found dead in August 2000 on a Caims beach. The cause of the death of this eight meters Bryde’s whale is because 6 squares meters of plastics found in its stomach. Like any other types of whales, Bryde’s whales feed by swallowing a large amount of water. As they swallow a large amount of water, they also swallow plastics that get into the water.
In indirect way plastic toxins also end up inside our bodies. Because as the plastics photo-degrades it breaks into smaller segments and may covers the ocean’s surface, which means that a lot of fishes would’ve drank the water. And fish end up on our plates. Less than 5% of plastics are recycled worldwide. Plastic bags are made from petroleum, which is a nonrenewable source and that's why it can’t biodegrade. Plastics already took many of sea animal’s life. We have to do something for this problem, or otherwise there will be many more marine animals killed by plastic. Sea turtles may extinct because of this problem. You also don't want to eat fishes that contain toxic from plastics right? Unless you want to get your self, killed because eating too many fish that contains toxic, you better help reduce this problem.
Written by: Dea Ghaniya