ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: ED205

ASSIGNMENT ON MARINE POLLUTION

Submitted by :
Arunabh Das (MSB17002)

Rahul Buragohain (MSB17005)

Kapil Nath (PHB17007)

WHAT IS POLLUTION

Pollution is the process of making land, water, air or other parts of the
environment dirty and not safe or suitable to use. This can be done
through the introduction of a contaminant into a natural environment,
but the contaminant doesn't need to be substantial. Things as simple as
light, sound and temperature can be considered pollutants when
introduced artificially into an environment.
Pollutants are the key elements or components of pollution which are
generally waste materials of different forms. Pollution disturbs our
ecosystem and the balance in the environment. With modernization and
development in our lives pollution has reached its peak; giving rise to
global warming and human illness.
Presence of pollutant in the environment beyond permissible limit is
unsafe for living being. Environment is capable of bearing the load of
pollutant upto certain level. Once the limit exceeds, contamination
reaches to a limit which is intolerable by the ecosystem and thus it
becomes injurious to health of living being.

INTRODUCTION TO MARINE LIFE:

Marine life, or sea life or ocean life, is the plants, animals and
other organisms that live in the salt water of the sea or ocean, or
the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine
life helps determine the very nature of our planet. Marine organisms
produce much of the oxygen we breathe. Approximately oceans, seas and
lakes cover 71% of the Earth’s surface.
Like all biological systems, the oceans are experiencing an ecologically
and evolutionarily unprecedented series of stresses, many of which are
changing the structure and organization of marine communities. Because
humans rely on the oceans for food, mineral resources, and recreation,
and because marine life offers potential future benefits to society, such
as in the area of biomedical products. Altogether there are 230,000
documented marine species, including about 20,000 species of fish, and
it has been estimated that nearly two million marine species are yet to be
documented.

MARINE POLLUTION:
Marine Pollution can be defined as the discharge of waste substances
into the sea resulting in harm to the living resources, hazards to human
health and hindrance to fishery. One of the biggest threats to our oceans
is man-made pollution. Discarded plastics and other residential waste,
discharge from pesticides and industrial chemicals eventually find their
way into the sea with devastating consequences for marine life and the
habitats they depend on. Shipping accidents and oil spills add additional
toxins to the mix.

It is estimated that a staggering 80 per cent of marine pollution

originates on land. Land-based pollutants – such as agricultural run-off
and nutrients from sewage outflows - are contributing to ocean ‘dead
zones’ – areas which can no longer sustain life because they have low or
zero oxygen. There are now some 500 of these dead zones around the
world.

In addition, rapid urbanization along the world’s coastlines has seen the
growth of coastal ‘megacities’ (cities with a population of 10 million or
more). In 2012, thirteen of the world’s 20 megacities were situated along
coasts. Many of these populations put pressure on infrastructure where
urban waste and sewage management is poor. In such areas,
implementing effective waste reduction initiatives, recycling and
effective waste and sewage management is key to improving the healthy
longevity of our oceans.

Plastics are one of the biggest man-made pollutants in the marine

environment, with an estimated eight million tones of plastic waste
finding its way into our oceans each year. The build-up of plastic litter -
bottles and cups, plastics found in cigarette filters, straws and other
‘macro plastics’ (those which are larger than 5mm) – in these urban
coastal areas washes out to sea in heavy rain, polluting coastal waters
and eventually drifting out to sea, where it breaks down into ever
smaller pieces, eventually becoming microplastics.

The harm caused by plastic pollution is wide ranging. It chokes wildlife

above and below the waterline. An estimated one million sea birds and
an unknown number of sea turtles die each year as a result of plastic
debris clogging their digestive tracts, and marine animals of all sorts can
become tangled and incapacitated by discarded fishing lines and plastic
bags. Fish and other marine life ingest microplastics which in turn can
find their way into the human food chain.

CAUSES AND SOURCES OF MARINE POLLUTION:

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
80 percent of marine pollution originates from land. This pollution is
categorized into two distinct sources: point and non-point. Point-source
pollution refers to those sources that are obvious, localized and identifiable.
These include sewage pipelines or industrial waste outlets that pump directly
into the sea. Non-point sources include all those small, unquantifiable
pollutants, including car exhaust fumes and agricultural run-off.
Pollution enters our oceans in one of three main ways. It can happen via direct
or intentional discharge, via run-off from the land through rivers and rainfall,
and via pollutants released from the atmosphere.

Direct or intentional discharge

Direct discharge includes effluent from sewage and industrial plants, and
trash intentionally discarded into the sea. Often, the discharge from
manufacturing plants includes toxic waste, which enters the food chain at the
lowest level. It subsequently transfers throughout the ecosystem, becoming
more concentrated as it ascends the chain. Large predatory marine species
like tuna, marlin, dolphins and sharks often contain high levels of mercury and
other dangerous toxins.
Runoff from land
The second major source of marine pollution is runoff from the land, from
both agricultural and urban areas. Runoff can include soil, fertilizers,
pesticides, particles rich in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and chemical run-
off from roads and highways. Inland mining is a major contributor to this kind
of pollution. It causes soil and mineral deposits to flow into the sea via rivers
and estuaries.

Pollutants from the atmosphere

Finally, the release of pollutants from the atmosphere is a significant
contributor to marine pollution. The ocean naturally absorbs carbon dioxide.
But as global warming causes carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to increase,
the oceans absorb even more, making them more acidic.

TYPES OF POLLUTANTS CONTRIBUTING TO MARINE

POLLUTION:

 NUTRIENTS
 SEDIMENTS
 PATHOGENS
 PERSISTENT TOXINS
 RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES
 THERMAL
 CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES

EFFECTS OF MARINE POLLUTION:

 Disruption of Coral Reefs

The oil spill keeps floating on the surface of the water. This thick layer
above the surface of the water prevents sunlight from reaching marine
flora and fauna. This leads to serious consequences to plant life by
cutting down the process of photosynthesis. There are health problems
that arise from the prolonged effect of oil spills. These can be seen in the
form of skin irritation, eye irritation, lung and liver problems have a
worsening impact on the marine life.

 Reproductive System failure of Marine animals

Industrial & agricultural wastes have many impurities in them which

contains hazardous chemicals that are no lesser than poisons for the
marine organisms. The chemicals from the chemical pesticides
accumulate in the fat tissues of the animals and disrupt the reproductive
system. These substances that accumulate in the organisms stay in them
for a really long time.

 Depletes Oxygen Content of the Ocean

It has been observed that most of the debris that is deposited in the
ocean does not decompose easily and they has a long life cycle and
remain in the ocean for years at a stretch. The worst consequence of this
debris being in the ocean for so long is as they degenerate, they keep
consuming more and more oxygen from the ocean water. This hampers
the present oxygen content of the water and reduces the oxygen level to
a very petty amount, barely sufficient to maintain the ocean ecology. The
reduced levels of oxygen raises a question on the survival of marine
animals and mammals like sharks, dolphins, penguins, whales and turtles
and the rate of survival is deplorably reduced as well.

 Effect on Food Chain

There are numerous chemicals that being used in the agricultural fields
and as well as in the industries. These chemicals often get washed away
and flow into the rivers. These rivers then carry them to the Oceans in
turn. These chemicals are unable to dissolve into the ocean water and
remain suspended. Then they slowly sink to the bottom of the ocean
floor. These chemicals are then ingested by the many small animals that
survive within the ocean environment. Then these small animals are
eaten by larger animals and then gradually moving up the food chain
these chemicals get bio-accumulated and manifest as serious problems.

 Effects of Toxic Wastes

Oil spills causes havoc in the marine environment and gives rise to some
serious troubles. The oil spilled in the ocean water gets into the feathers
of sea birds and gills of marine animals. This jeopardizes with their
ability to move or fly properly and handicaps their ability to feed their
young ones. The effects of this are evident is diseases like cancer, failure
of the reproductive system or can even cause death.
 Effects on Human Health
Animals that already under the threat and influence of the chemically
influenced food chain are then eaten by the human beings as well. The
toxins that are present within these animals are then transferred
through the food chain into humans as well. The human beings get
contaminated with these toxins as they get deposited in their tissues.
These then result to cancer, birth defects or even long term health
problems.

EUTROPHICATION
Eutrophication is a big word that describes a big problem in the nation's
estuaries. Harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and fish kills are the results
of a process called eutrophication which begins with the increased load
of nutrients to estuaries and coastal waters.

Sixty-five percent of U.S. estuaries and coastal water bodies are

moderately to severely degraded by excessive nutrient inputs, which
lead to algal blooms and low-oxygen (hypoxic) waters that can kill fish
and sea grass and reduce essential fish habitats. Many of these estuaries
also support bivalve mollusk populations (e.g., oysters, clams, scallops),
which naturally reduce nutrients through their filter-feeding activities.
The primary culprits in eutrophication appear to be excess nitrogen and
phosphorus—from sources including fertilizer runoff and septic system
effluent to atmospheric fallout from burning fossil fuels—which enter
waterbodies and fuel the overgrowth of algae, which, in turn, reduces
water quality and degrades estuarine and coastal ecosystems.
Eutrophication can also produce carbon dioxide, which lowers the PH of
seawater (ocean acidification). This slows the growth of fish and
shellfish, may prevent shell formation in bivalve mollusks, and reduces
the catch of commercial and recreational fisheries, leading to smaller
harvests and more expensive seafood.
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
When carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by seawater, chemical reactions
occur that reduce seawater pH, carbonate ion concentration, and
saturation states of biologically important calcium carbonate minerals.
These chemical reactions are termed "ocean acidification". Calcium
carbonate minerals are the building blocks for the skeletons and shells of
many marine organisms. In areas where most life now congregates in the
ocean, the seawater is supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate
minerals. This means there are abundant building blocks for calcifying
organisms to build their skeletons and shells. However, continued ocean
acidification is causing many parts of the ocean to become
undersaturated with these minerals, which is likely to affect the ability of
some organisms to produce and maintain their shells.
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the pH of surface ocean
waters has fallen by 0.1 pH units. Since the pH scale, like the Richter
scale, is logarithmic, this change represents approximately a 30 percent
increase in acidity. Future predictions indicate that the oceans will
continue to absorb carbon dioxide, further increasing ocean acidity.
Estimates of future carbon dioxide levels, based on business as usual
emission scenarios, indicate that by the end of this century the surface
waters of the ocean could have acidity levels nearly 150 percent higher,
resulting in a pH that the oceans haven’t experienced for more than 20
million years.
Ocean acidification has been compared to anthropogenic climate change
and called the "evil twin of global warming" same as the other CO2
problem. Freshwater bodies also appear to be acidifying, although this is
a more complex and less obvious phenomenon.

MARINE POLLUTION: A CASE STUDY

Ganpati Visarjan 2018: Thousands of dead fish wash ashore
after 7th-day Ganesha immersion in Mumbai.
The visarjan of Ganpati idols on the seventh day of Ganesh Chaturthi, has
taken a toll on marine life along the city’s coastline. Next day, thousands of
dead fish and turtles had washed ashore on Dadar and Juhu beaches.
Experts say the immersion of idols harms marine animals mainly due to the
plaster of Paris (PoP) used to make most idols, the lead in their paints, and the
nirmalya (flower offerings) that go with them. This year too, both beaches
were choked with Ganpati idols and nirmalaya from the visarjan.
The NGO Beach Warriors, which had undertaken the task of cleaning up Dadar
beach post-immersion, was shocked to see the remains of tortoises, heaps of
dead fish and water snakes, along with the PoP from immersed idols that had
washed ashore.The leader of the Beach Warriors team of 30 volunteers, said
the fish had died because of the toxic pigments used in idols, as well as the
bacterial load from decomposing flowers, prasad and other offerings.

The paints used in idols contain metals such as chromium, lead, aluminum and
copper, which dissolve and turn into toxic compounds in water. This damages
the gills of fish. Also, Plaster of Paris has the ability to reduce oxygen levels in
the water. And as it decomposes, bacteria from it consume the oxygen
dissolved in water, and fish die because there isn’t enough oxygen left.

SOLUTIONS FOR MARINE POLLUTION:

When it comes for solving a problem there can be many solutions using
different aprroaches. But in case of marine pollution problems there is
not much options for us. Basically there are two types of measures we
can take up:

CORRECTIVE MEASURES: costly and time consuming.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES: requires changes in attitude and

skills.
WHAT WE CAN DO:
At our level we can -
 Consume and pollute less
 Shift towards greener lifestyle
 Respect the environment and never go against it
 Implementation of 3R’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  Use the resources judiciously.
 Appropriate disposal of wastes, both domestic as well as in public.

WHAT THEY CAN DO:

INDUSTRIES
 Improve sewage disposal facilities and disposal systems
 Marine monitoring and regulations
 Treat wastes, oils and other chemical discharge before discharging
into the water bodies
 Effective solid waste disposal and treatment
 Refrain from illegal construction at sea shore ports or harbours.

ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY:

 Cultivation of marine bacterial plants that improves the degradation

of organic pollutants
 Protection and enhancement of coral reefs
 Neutralization of acidic or basic emissions
 Computer modelling of dispersion of pollutants
 Remote sensing of marine pollution
 Analytical quality control services for marine pollution monitoring
 Risk assessment and management of marine pollution

GOVERNMENT:

 Creating awareness and providing education to general public and

industries.
 Port management authorities must examine ships and portside
factories for harmful emissions.
 Prevent illegal sand mining and theft along coastal reefs.
  Quick action force to prevent the spread of oil spills and fires in
ships.
 Proper maintenance of beaches.
 Setting aside funds for marine conservation.
 Making acts and policies for marine life conservation.

ACTS AND POLICIES:

1]Convention for the prevention of Marine Pollution by dumping

from ships and aircrafts (1972).
According to this convention which was introduced in 1972 (came in act in
1974), the dumping of halocarbons silicon, mercury, cadmium, non-
biodegradable plastics and other carcinogenic materials like arsenic, lead,
cyanides are prohibited.

2]Convention for the prevention of pollution from the ships (1973).

The objective of this convention is to preserve the marine environment in an
attempt to completely eliminate pollution by oil and other harmful substances
and to minimize accidental spillage of such substances.

3]The Ganga Action Plan Phase1&2

In both the phases the objective of this plan was to improve the quality of the
Ganga.

Phase1: It came into act in 1986 by Rajiv Gandhi and the budget of the plan
was Rs. 432 crores. It was a failure and came to an end in the year 2000.

Phase2: After reforming the plans of Phase1 GAP was started again. But again
due to lack of participation and motivation it was also a failure and came to an
end in the year 2014. The budget of the plan was around Rs.916 crores
approximately.
Our present PM also promised to clean the Ganga in his campaign in Varanasi
and it was mentioned in their manifesto but no sign of improvement can be
seen in the quality of water in Ganga.

CONCLUSION:
The environmentalists believe that preventive measure is better than
corrective measure as the effects of marine pollution may be irreversible and
it may be everlasting to the marine ecosystem.

It’s not enough by having such acts, it’s all neccesary to take some preventive
measures in our hand.

If we throw a piece of thrash in the ground then there is a possibility that the
thrash could travel through air and drain into a water body.

Basically we need to change our attitudes and skills and have basic knowledge
about the environment and create awareness among us and others, the need
to save the planet earth.

REFERENCES:
http://www.pollution.co.in/marine-pollution

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-eutrophication-definition-
causes-effects.html

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/acidification.html

https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Solutions_for_Ocean_Pollution

http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ganga_Action_Plan

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/civic/thousands-of-dead-
fish-wash-ashore-after-7th-day-visarjan/articleshow/65906781.cms