2. Marine pollution occurs when harmful substances enter the water
in the form of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and
residential waste, or by the spread of invasive organisms. Today,
plastic is one of the major toxic pollutants of water. Being a non-
biodegradable substance and composed of toxic chemicals, plastic
pollutes water and harms the marine life.
One of the major cause is micro plastics, which are small plastic
particles in the environment and have become a paramount issue
especially in the marine environment. There are two main sources
of micro plastics:
1. Produced for direct use, such as for industrial abrasives,
cosmetics or rot milling or for indirect use as precursors for the
production of manifold consumer products.
2. Micro plastics formed in the environment as a consequence of
the breakdown of larger plastic material, especially marine debris,
into smaller and smaller fragments. The breakdown is caused by
mechanical forces (e.g. waves) and/or photochemical processes
triggered by sunlight (especially UVB)
3. It is not uncommon to find albatross,
platypus and other animals, strangled
from getting jumbled in plastic bags and
not being able to twist their way out.
They are dying from litter and uncontained
trash improperly discarded by humans. A
step need to be taken to save the marine
life.
4. Conducting awareness programs
Ex-plastic pollution campaigns like rally; skit etc calling
for an outright ban on use of plastic
products .
Creating web portals
To discuss the problems and bring various
information together.
5. Collecting funds
with environment related NGO’S,socialists
and team up with celebrities,
environmentalists and advertisers.
Pressurizing governments
regulatory bodies to tighten regulations
on industrial, agricultural and domestic
6. Action plan for saving marine life as a
community
1). Minimize the usage of plastics by following the
three R’s-
Recycle
Reuse
Reduce
For Example:
*Don’t use cosmetics that contain plastic micro
beads (particularly face wash containing
polyethylene).
*Take part in beach cleanups.
*Reduce you carbon footprint by reducing
consumption.
7. 2) Support research projects aimed at
understanding pollution better and finding
ways to reduce the amount of pollution in
our oceans.
8. 3) Be a wise consumer. Support companies
that are environmentally conscious. Buy
organic foods as these minimize
agricultural impacts from chemical
fertilizers and pesticides.
9. 4) Usage of proper disposal method should
be encouraged like
Segregation
Effluents from distilleries, and solid
wastes containing organic matter should
be sent to biogas plants for generation of
energy.
Incineration burning
Land filling
10. 5) Using biodegradable laundry detergent
and washing-up liquid trims down the
detrimental effects of waste water.
11. 6) Surplus cooking oil and toxic liquids, such
as paint thinners and motor oil, should
never be poured down the drain. They
should be engrossed with paper towels or
newspapers and put into the debris bin.
12. 7) Correct disposal of the hazardous
products in your household eg- paints,
used oil, cleaning solvents, polishes, pool
chemicals, insecticides, etc. out of the
drains, sinks, and toilets in your household
as most of the products contain: sodium
hypo chlorite, petroleum distillates,
phenol, cresol, ammonia, and
formaldehyde, which aren't healthy for the
water bodies.
13. 8) Never dispose non-degradable products
by flushing them down the toilet; they can
damage the sewage process and can end
up in beaches or some type of body of
water.
14. 9) Oil slicks should be skimmed off from the
surface with suction device. Sawdust can
be spread over oil slicks to absorb the oil
components
15. Remember:
To humans, these
are items of
comfort, if not
necessity. But to
marine animals,
they can be a
floating minefield.
