Causes of marine pollution

The factors responsible for marine pollution are infinite in number because our day to day activities even contribute to marine pollution without us knowing itself.

1.Direct disposal of wastes from factories – When I saw factories being built near water bodies, I used to think that factories are set up near water bodies for the workers to enjoy the sea- view while they are working. But the actual reason behind it was a very clever act as factories and industries are built in such places for easy disposal of wastes and also it is free of cost. Even though it is a win- win situation for industries, its effect on marine life is terrible.

2.Extreme natural events- Natural disasters like flooding and hurricanes can create heavy surface runoff and all those substances that are brought along with the runoff get drained into the oceans leading to its increasing poisoning.

3.Plastic pollution- This is one of the most detrimental reasons why marine life is getting affected. The tons of plastic bags, bottles, packets etc. are dumped excessively into water bodies. Statistically,350 million tonnes of plastics are produced each year and out of that approximately 1 to 2 million plastics enter into the oceans which is almost 0.5 percent of the total plastics produced.

The reasons are endless but it is important to analyse the impacts of marine pollution in order to understand the issue better.

Effects of marine pollution

It is a fact that fish and other aquatic organisms consume oxygen from the dissolved oxygen present in the water bodies and when the water is contaminated with toxins and poisons, it becomes extremely difficult for them to survive. According to surveys, 86 percent of all sea turtle species , 44 percent of seabird species and 43 percent of all marine mammal species are impacted each year due to plastic pollution. 500 marine locations in the world are now recorded as dead zones where marine life cannot exist. 88 percent of the sea’s surface is polluted by plastic wastes and fishes lose their lives by getting tangled by the plastic debris.

The poor and contaminated quality of water used by human beings can cause link us with various diseases such as cholera, polio, dysentery, typhoid etc.

Due to water pollution, several rivers and lakes of India which are famously known for their astounding beauty are now slowing turning into severely polluted zones. One such river is the river Ganga. The river has been polluted by various human activities such as washing of clothes, immersion of ashes and plastics etc. Industrial effluents account for 12 percent of the total effluents reaching the Ganges.

As humans, we have the ability to transform this condition into a better one by taking appropriate steps.

Factories and industrial units should be aware of the risks they are causing to the marine life and should take other alternative steps to dispose their wastes rather than dumping it into the water bodies. We should also be conscious enough to not use plastic products and should switch to eco-friendly products like jute bags, mud cups, paper plates etc to reduce the use of plastics. We must try our best to reuse and recycle non- biodegradable products. We should make sure that we do not randomly throw plastic items on the streets but rather dispose it properly.

As a person who is sharing awareness and information about this issue, I would also like to add a few points stating my individual contributions towards reducing marine pollution. First , I try to reduce the use of plastics as much as possible. I also this easy tip that was given by my teacher when she was teaching about the proper use of plastics and that was on how to cut plastic packets in the right way.

Here, as it is demonstrated in this picture, it is preferable to tear off chips and biscuit packets by making a cut over the packet in such a way that no plastic is removed off the packet. Why though? If the plastic is present as a whole it can be recycled by the plastic recycling units but if we tear off a tiny bit of plastic, that piece of plastic will get no opportunity to get recycled and as a result, it ultimately ends up in the water bodies and contribute to marine pollution. You might wonder what harm can be caused by this tiny plastic piece . The answer is simple, for a single person, it might be a small piece but what if the same thing is done by the entire population of your locality! It could lead to the accumulation of around 100 kilograms of plastic in the ocean. Apart from these, I also have a huge collection of canvas and jute bags at my home for my use and I also give them to my relatives and friends so that they can also limit the use of plastic bags.

As they say, “the world’s finest wilderness live behind the waves”, and as responsible habitants of our planet earth, we must be thoughtful towards the marine life and protect them and not degrade the quality of water bodies due to our activities.