Problems and Impacts of Plastic Pollution in Aquatic Environment

AN INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION OF PROBLEMS AND IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT
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An investigation and Discussion of Problems and Impacts of Plastic Pollution in Aquatic Environment
Plastic pollution has become a significant problem in contemporary society due to its spiked impacts in different types of environments. It is noted everywhere and not only in oceans. Under normal circumstances, a vast population of individuals breathes tiny plastic particles, affecting different body systems (Bucci and Rochman, 2020). The same concept is noted in different aquatic animals. Plastics are made of different chemicals, and when exposed to the environment, it produces toxins that impact the marine environment. Regardless of the importance of plastics such as packaging, their impacts on the environment are adverse compared to the positive benefits (Thushari and Senevirathna, 2020). Different types of plastic pollution exist in the environment, such as microplastics. These are fragments below 5 mm and easily penetrate the aquatic environment due to floods or winds, polluting the aquatic environment. The plastic may also carry gasoline, acid, or alcohol in light containers into the sea, endangering the marine ecosystem (Parthasarathy et al., 2019). Some plastic components, such as polycarbonate, tend to be unbreakable, making it difficult to sustain in the aquatic environment. Aquatic environments include inland water bodies, oceans, coastal waters, and marine. The identified types of aquatic environment are heavily exposed to plastic pollution due to different inlets, which are easily accessed by the plastic fragments. The geographical focus of the essay is on the coastal waters since they are heavily impacted by plastic pollution. The paper investigates and discusses the problems and impacts of plastic pollution on the aquatic environments in California.
Investigation of Plastic Pollution
Investigating plastic pollution in the aquatic environment is critical since the phenomenon is incredibly escalating and may lead to the termination of the aquatic. The investigation focused on the specific aquatic environments, especially the coastal waters, due to the belief that coastal waters are highly polluted due to increased human interactions. It is necessary to consider all the elements of plastic pollution to understand the specific problems and impacts on aquatic life. According to Lau et al. (2020), the most affected marine animals include invertebrates, corals, cephalopods, rays, sharks, and sea reptiles, including turtles. Therefore, the investigation is precisely aligned to understand the magnitude of plastic pollution in coastal waters like the Salton Sea.
Problems of Plastic Pollution
Different problems are caused by plastic pollution in the aquatic environment. The problems are hectic and require adequate integration to protect the aquatic life. California's most experienced plastic pollution problem, especially in the Salton Sea, is escalated clothing fibers highly deposited in the sea waters. It is a significant problem since plastics take the forms of plastic wastes and are largely invisible. The problem is of high magnitude since approximately 13 quadrillion fibers are deposited in the aquatic environment in California (Fossi et al., 2017). Plastic fibers of approximately 5 mm in length are released to the California aquatic environment by specific human activities such as washing fleece jackets, stretchy jeans, and yoga pants. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to control due to the minute sizes of the materials. The tiny particles create considerable problems to California coastal waters due to escalated human interactions and constant water flow in the area.
Plastic pollution is also a critical problem in California's aquatic environment due to increased incineration and plastic production, projected to escalate by 20% in 2050 (Fossi et al., 2017). The problem is technical due to the reduced capacity of management. Managing plastic production is critical due to inadequate structures to eradicate the increased level of pollution. Many requirements are needed to curb the plastic problem ranging from seawater management to reduced plastic emission. The process cannot be easily executed but requires proper planning and development, which would reduce the problem linked to pollution. Lastly, the problem linked to plastic pollution in the aquatic environment is its long-term effects on marine life in California. Plastic pollution is not short-term based, and it results from constant accumulation, which consequently affects aquatic life. Therefore, the identified problems are diverse and jeopardize aquatic life.
Impact of Plastic Pollution
There are different impacts of plastic pollution on aquatic life in California. One of the no...