THE POLLUTION OF THE OCEAN

The ocean is the origin and engine of all life on this planet, and it is
under threat. A big part of the problem: pollution. There is so much
plastic pollution in the oceans that so-called islands of plastic have
formed.
Fortunately, it is not too late to clean up our actions. If we all start to do
our bit, the oceans may be clean in a few years.

OIL SPILLS ARE NOT THE (BIGGEST) PROBLEM

Headline-making oil spills account for only 12 percent of the oil in our
oceans. Three times as much oil is carried into the sea through
discharges from our roads, rivers and drains. Unfortunately, birds and
marine mammals are unable to prevent the damage that occurs after
an oil spill. The oil covers their skin, their feathers and their legs,
immobilizing them until death. Also, some fish are curious about oil and
ingest it thinking it might be food. In this way, oil is incorporated into the
food chain and can reach people, affecting human health.

MORE PLASTIC THAN FISH

Eight million metric tons: it is the amount of plastic that we throw into
the oceans every year. Equivalent to almost 57,000 blue whales, each
year. By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in ocean fish. Once
plastic objects reach the marine environment, they take between
decades and hundreds of years to degrade. The degradation time
depends on the type of plastic and the environmental conditions to
which it is exposed (sunlight, oxygen, mechanical agents). In the case
of the oceans, UV radiation from sunlight is the main agent that
degrades plastic. The action of the waves accelerates this process and
as a result, the larger fragments are breaking into smaller pieces,
generating microplastics . 1 single glass will take 6 5 years to 75 years
to degrade.

5 GARBAGE ISLANDS
There is so much garbage in the sea that the debris has formed giant
garbage patches. There are five of them around the world, and the
largest - the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - includes approximately 1.8
trillion pieces of garbage and covers an area twice the size of
Texas. These residues decimate marine ecosystems by causing the
death of more than a million animals a year

E L PLASTIC IS A DOUBLE DANGER

Chemical substances released into the environment can not only kill
different organisms, but also have long-term effects, such as
malformations, cancer, mutagenesis , impaired reproduction, among
other effects . Plastic can affect animals and humans

SO LUTIONS TO THE POLLUTION OF THE OCEANS

One of the biggest problems that humanity will face in the next you
decades will be a shortage of drinking water due to climate change,
increasing periods of drought as well as the high rate of pollution
that are suffering many major drinking water sources.
As is evident, the only way to solve the problem of water contamination
comes from two sides: not to pollute it and to clean the one that is
already contaminated. In this way, pollution that ends up destroying
both aquifers and other water reserves can be avoided and minimized,
making it a battle that must be fought at the same time on all fronts.