The planet earth is made up of terrestrial and aquatic surfaces, the latter being 80% of the entire globe, to the point of being known as the blue planet, due to its immensity of salt water, it can come into contact with various continents. creating important ecosystems; At present, pollution has had great relevance for deteriorating these environments and harming the life present in it. In the following article we will learn about the Things that Pollute the Sea and how they have influenced the world.
Things that Pollute the Sea
Pollution is considered as any element that can be present in the environment and negatively affect the environment and the different living conditions, these polluting substances can become physical, chemical and biological agents that deteriorate natural conditions and even harm the health of the living beings that inhabit it. Therefore, pollution is a term of much study today due to the significant impact on the planet.
Currently there is great concern about the influence of pollution on the environment, this is attributed to the high participation of man in developing methods of obtaining resources to improve living conditions, which lead to destroying the natural environment. The actions of the human being have led to an exponential growth in the effects of pollution throughout the world.
Since the industrial revolution there has been an increase in the polluting effects that have influenced the planet earth, highlighting the deterioration of the ozone layer due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels, accumulation of toxic waste in different natural regions, massive waste of garbage in green areas that destroy ecosystems, destruction of natural habitats due to the extraction of resources, emission of harmful radiation that alters the balance of nature, among many other polluting actions.
It should be noted that one of the polluting effects of greatest concern is that of water bodies, highlighting that planet earth is made up of 80% water sources distributed between salty (oceans, reefs, others) and fresh (springs, rivers, lagoons). , lakes, among others). They represent the greatest expression in the entire globe and are one of the main sources of life, for offering biodiversity of aquatic flora and fauna.
In this case, the importance of the seas and oceans is highlighted, they represent one of the great extensions of salt water in the entire planet earth, being the main element for the separation of the continents and representing the largest surface of the planet earth approximately 80%. . Presenting different areas of oceanic relief that offers variable depths, in various regions of the world, even coming into contact with the five continents. They are composed of seawater, characterized by having a high percentage of salts and minerals, mainly sodium and magnesium chloride, calcium and potassium.
Currently there are various crises in these marine areas due to the high level of contamination they present, whether due to the accumulation of garbage or plastic waste, to large spills of harmful chemical substances, all of them present in the open sea, ocean shores and small channels that connect with them. Marine pollution is considered when it generates harmful effects on water currents caused by different causes, whether due to accumulation of particles, agricultural waste, accumulation of wastewater, excessive noise, among others.
Pollution of the seas is the introduction of harmful contaminants that do not belong to this ecosystem, most of them come from the work of man such as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, detergents, hydrocarbons, plastics and some other solid. All of them culminate in flowing into the water and accumulating in the depths of the ocean, where they are consumed by marine organisms that affect the species that participate in the food chain.
Due to its great immensity, human beings have come to consider it as a place to dispose of garbage and chemical substances that end up bringing serious consequences, such as the destruction of natural habitats, the extinction of various species of flora and fauna, the loss of essential water sources in various world regions, among others. Therefore, it is of great importance, the condition of the seas and the consequences to all the species that inhabit it.
History of Sea Pollution
Sea pollution represents all those pollutants that come to influence ocean waters located anywhere in the world, currently there is a high content of substances that affect these ecosystems, destroy natural habitats, harming the flora and fauna of these environments.
Due to the greatness of the seas and their depth, man has come to dump garbage and chemical substances without any type of control, bringing serious consequences to these ecosystems. Currently, there are a wide variety of areas affected by this type of circumstance, where companies and organizations participate that have sea sources as industrial dumps, as well as caused by bad human practices that affect the seas.
There are many areas affected by pollution of the seas, one of the largest cases is the delta of the Mississippi River, considered as the dead zone that reaches the size of the state of New Jersey approximately 12.875 kilometers, is affected by transporting sediments from the Gulf In Mexico, most of these pollutants are fertilizer residues that cause an increase in the proliferation of algae, in addition, during the summer time, a large accumulation of plastic products that end up decomposing is observed in the North Pacific.
Due to this, many institutions use the slogan "the solution to pollution is dilution", using a large amount of water solvent to dilute the chemical substances used and discarding them in the sources of the liquid, in the end they end up flowing into the ocean. This action has led to the total collapse of the seas, because the elemental substances remain present and affect the entire environment in the same way.
The oceans have suffered for thousands of years at the hands of man since the time of the Roman Empire, where there were wars and the beginning of water manipulation without adequate awareness, creating degradation at smaller scales of the present ecosystems that has accelerated in the last three years. centuries due to industrial water discharges and runoff.
Various Forms of Sea Pollution
The seas have been exposed by the continuous attack by man, in making the most of the natural resources offered by the oceans. Coming to degrade coastal areas that have been affected for centuries, in addition to presenting a high content of industrial discharges, filtered waters that are affected by the content of fertilizers used in agriculture, runoff from farms, livestock that end up flowing into the coastal areas.
Most of these polluting substances can have different natures from physical (garbage and plastics), chemical (fertilizer elements or herbicides) and biological (faeces or decomposed organic material); all of them end up accumulating in the depths of the ocean, where they are consumed by various species from small organisms to large ones, being affected by said substance and altering the entire food cycle developed in their natural habitats.
According to the studies, they confirm that all those medicines that man consumes and are not properly processed end up being discarded into the water currents and end up being consumed by the fish of the sea that are sinful and are a food source for man. Therefore, human activities are the main causes of contamination of water sources, altering their natural condition and destroying their ecosystems.
Some of the main pollutants that come from human activities are spills of hydrocarbons, herbicides, detergents, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, wastewater and accumulation of solids. Although numerous campaigns have been carried out and new options have been sought to reduce the environmental impact, but the results have been completely the opposite, at present the amount of pollutants in the seas from these sources has multiplied.
One of the most outstanding in this case are the fertilizers rich in nitrogen, also known as NPK fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), it is one of the main tools used by farmers to benefit the growth of plants, since due to conditions climatic (rain and water washing) soils tend to lose basic conditions essential for plant growth, such as nitrogenous salts that are easily diluted and other minerals.
Excessive use of this product in agricultural areas is retained by the soil and absorbed by plants, but only a small portion, the rest of the nitrogenous salts are dragged by water currents and flow into rivers and groundwater, ending up being deposited in bays, deltas, coastal areas and estuaries. The excess of nutrients can stimulate an uncontrolled growth of algae, causing them to develop massively in certain areas where life does not originate.
In addition, solid waste is the main concern due to its impact in various forms such as visual and physical, in this case the bags, foams and waste from ships and tourist areas stand out; they end up being accumulated in the ocean and normally food for marine mammals, fish, turtles and even birds, because they confuse it with food and end up gobbling it up, ending up affecting the life of the species.
In the seas, many labor activities are carried out that allow food and economic income for society, among them fishing stands out, where they use tools such as fishing nets, harpoons and lures that are harmful to flora and fauna. Sometimes abandoned fishing nets can drift for many years and fish often get entangled in them. They also represent an object that accumulates a large part of decomposing plastic or waste that ends up forming whirlpools of garbage that deteriorate water currents.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is the occurrence of excessively annoying sounds, although it may be something common and not perceptible, it is a type of pollution present in everyday life, being produced by human activities such as traffic, planes, entertainment venues, etc. homes, boats, among others. Although it is a type of pollution that is widely seen in land areas, it has been proven that in water masses it can be perceived and spread over long kilometers without losing its intensity.
This can be seen by boats that circulate in coastal or tourist areas but also those seen in oil installations, this type of device can have sounds that reach great powers that are coming from boats. It has been observed that noises similar to earthquakes can be produced at oil points, altering the migratory patterns of some species that communicate with each other through vibrational waves.
This has been a very relevant factor in the hunting and reproduction carried out by marine species, altering the natural conditions developed by some mammals such as whales and dolphins that have been seen stranded on the shores of beaches. This has been attributed to the disturbances generated by ships and oil constructions located in areas.
Types of Waste in the Pollution of the Seas
Polluting agents are all those substances that are responsible for altering all the ecosystems present on planet earth, becoming harmful to the flora and fauna present in natural environments, this type of agent accumulates until it completely deteriorates the environment, in the At present, the complete loss of regions due to this factor has been observed.
The seas represent one of the natural environments with the highest number of polluting agents and this is due to the fact that most of them end up flowing into the seas, among them objects such as plastic bags, balloons, buoys, ropes, medical waste, glass and plastic bottles. plastic, plastic lighters, beverage cans, extruded polystyrene, fishing lines, nets, among others. Most of all this waste is debris that is found floating on water surfaces seriously affecting marine life. The most harmful to the environment will be highlighted below:
the plastics
Most of the marine debris is solid of plastic origin, mainly for the last 50 years where a massive production of products of this material used in the daily life of man has been observed. Highlighting the fact that plastics are polymeric chemical compounds that do not biodegrade, they can only become photodegraded (photolysis) but due to the presence of water it is responsible for inhibiting this property in said materials.
Plastics are one of the main pollutants in the seas and this is attributed to the waste generated in society, it should be noted that for a decade it has been considered the age of the polymer, where a wide variety of elements are made with this type of substance, mainly food packaging, beverage bottles, product wrapping, among others. Therefore, the exponential growth of the presence of plastic in society has increased pollution by this factor in the seas.
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has confirmed that plastic can endanger approximately 600 marine species that are predicted to become extinct in the coming years. Raising statistics that represent catastrophic numbers in the medium term, where it is estimated that in the year 2050 all the seas of the world will have more presence of plastics than fish. Not counting the loss of marine species and the few still present would have ingested plastic at some point, contaminating even the species present.
Ghost Nets
Fishing is one of the main practices carried out by man, in order to supply the food needs of society, hunting marine species and fish that represent an important part of the basic diet in many countries. Among this practice they use some elements such as nets, which are built by intertwined ropes with the same diameter at different points until they generate holes where the fish are captured.
Sometimes these nets are left or lost by people in the ocean, these are known as ghost nets, which are used to capture fish, drifting and without any control can catch species such as dolphins, sea turtles, crocodiles , seabirds, crabs, fish, sharks, among others. These types of nets are responsible for restricting the movement of the species that are captured, imprisoning them until they generate hunger, lacerations, cuts and other infections and even suffocate the animals.
Nurdles and Plastic Bags
The nurdles are also known as mermaid tears, they consist of a set of plastic balls, they have a size of 5 millimeters in diameter. They are a type of raw material used in the plastics industry, they are used to be part of homes but some of these granules end up in the ocean due to accidental spills or intentional waste; capturing the toxins present and affecting the marine fauna.
This type of substance is generated by the continuous physical wear of plastic waste, they can have an appearance very similar to fish eggs, due to this they are confused by some marine predators that confuse and consume them, leading them to death. very slow.
Another of the elements that remain present are the plastic bags that obstruct the digestive tract when consumed by aquatic animals, causing little movement of food in their body, creating a feeling of fullness and tricking the animal into feeling satiated. . Therefore, it is estimated that six trillion plastic particles can accumulate in the oceans.
With the passing of time and accumulation, it can reach up to 300 thousand tons of plastics that are found in all the seas of the planet earth, among these plastics, nurdles and plastic bags stand out, which constitute the main polluting effects or influences on the environment, damaging natural habitats and causing the death of numerous species.
Coming to have a great economic and environmental impact worldwide, where it is stipulated approximately eight billion dollars per year that are invested to recover areas that are affected by the damage caused by plastic, especially its influence on the planet's oceans. land. Coming to destroy natural habitats and regions that have large deposits of plastics accumulated as waste; Some of the most affected sectors are fishing and tourism, due to the lack of control and little importance of using these products.
Environmental Impact of Pollution of the Seas
The plastics discarded in the oceans are considered of great importance and relevance for the conservation of species, because many animals are affected by breathing, such as whales, turtles and seabirds; these mammals usually get entangled in these stranded nets causing them to drown by making it difficult for them to come to the surface in search of oxygen, all this can cause environmental damage.
Some of these plastics remain floating on the surface of the ocean, where many marine animals become confused and ingest it because it bears some resemblance to the organisms they regularly consume. Plastic is a large polymeric chemical substance that is very difficult to degrade, affecting the digestive systems of species due to its difficulty in digesting it, obstructing that entire system and harming their health.
Those very bulky plastic remains permanently adhere to the digestive tract of animals, this is due to the gastric acids present in the stomach responsible for processing the food, it is difficult for it to carry out its natural cycle with the plastic that acts in an unnatural way in their bodies. Coming to cause the death of the animal by perforating the tissues and blocking the passage of food. Some studies confirm that the mass of the plastic can be six times greater than that of the plankton, which is why it causes so much damage to the species.
It is worth highlighting the chemical additives that are used during the production of plastic substances that affect water currents and all the environments that are around them, destroying ecosystems and influencing the environment in a negative way. These substances come to act as hydrophobic contaminants that do not dissolve or lose their properties in water, they tend to group on the surface causing the solid plastic found in the ocean to be much more toxic than those located on the land surface.
All those hydrophobic pollutants are a set of biomolecules preferably composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur, acting as molecules similar to vitamins, proteins and lipids. They accumulate in fatty tissues, magnifying themselves as they enter the food chain, causing a lot of damage to predatory mammals (sharks, whales, killer whales, among others).
Chemical additives are one of the main components in the manufacture of plastic, being present in those used in the food and beverage industry, these types of substances can alter the hormonal system of all living beings. In the case of marine species, it affects the endocrine system, affecting their reproduction processes and can even deteriorate the immune systems of all those who consume.
It should be noted that not all waste from human activities that accumulates in the ocean is 100% harmful or aggressive to the environment; In this case, the presence of iron and concrete stands out, since they do not generate a high impact on nature, as long as they are immobile, today they are used in artificial reefs, collaborating in the increase of biodiversity in all areas. coastal. Ships have even been deliberately sunk to strengthen this motif and increase the diversity of species in the region.
Organisms have also adapted to the presence of some plastic agents, causing some of these beings to disperse in various regions of the world and become invasive in other saltwater aquatic ecosystems.
What are the seas?
The seas represent a large extension of salt water surface, with a size smaller than the ocean. It is considered that the composition of the seas forms some oceanic source, causing communication with some natural strait or water channel that subdivides the different water sources.
They can be located between relatively close land masses, despite belonging to different continents, such as the Mediterranean Sea; Unlike the oceans, they occupy much more extensive land and great separation between the areas of land, then we learn about the classification of the seas according to their depth:
Continental Seas
It is that body of salt water that is located completely within a continent, communicating with the ocean through which or shallow straits, present a difference in temperature and therefore, different concentrations of salinity. The main example of this type of sea is the Mediterranean Sea.
Coastal Seas
Also known as coastal areas, they come to encompass regions that have large and quite wide gulfs. It is characterized by shallow sills and a greater amplitude of tides. Among the main examples to highlight are the Norwegian Sea, also known as Beaufort.
Closed Seas
Also known as endorheic lakes, that is, they do not have any outlet to the ocean, they have large depressions completely closed by the land surface. These types of lakes tend to have a higher salinity than in other saltwater areas, they never connect with the ocean or with any water current. One of the main examples are the Dead Sea or the Caspian Sea.
Man has come to act indifferently to the natural resources present on planet earth, destroying different natural habitats due to the massive acquisition of natural assets to meet global demand, with this the water sources have been the most affected, by accumulating all waste, debris and substances that are transported by water and discarded in the sea; creating serious catastrophes that harm planet earth.
At present there have been affections of fresh water currents such as rivers and lakes, salt water such as the seas; coming to observe a large amount of waste found floating on water surfaces or at the bottom of the earth. Emphasizing in this case the seas, where there is the greatest amount of polluting effect, because the water currents (fresh and salty) end up flowing into them.
Highlighting the seasons with the highest incidence of people in those coastal regions such as beaches and bays, which come to present a large accumulation of plastic waste such as bags, bottles, food containers and also the presence of other utensils made with glass and aluminum. All of them end up being accumulated in the seas and dragged into the oceans, influencing the life of the mammals present and their environment.
You can also see a large accumulation of sediments that are dumped into the sea, as waste from civil constructions, among others. Also highlighting the presence of industrial and urban discharges that due to poor management in companies, waste numbers from their processes are observed in bodies of water. Both factors have presented a high index in the seas during the last century.
In the case of radioactive waste, it is that coming from large industrial areas that carry out significant processes with chemical reagents that are harmful to the flora and fauna of the seas, affecting the diet of human beings, because those same fish and aquatic mammals consumed, they are hunted as a source of food for people.
At present, 80% of the different substances that contaminate the seas and oceans are considered, guaranteeing that the majority come from terrestrial sources, such as urban and industrial regions that manipulate these substances, the main examples to be highlighted are vehicles, septic tanks, farmland, trucks, among others.
Avoiding Pollution of the Seas is Vital
Pollution is one of the main crises expressed in humanity, because it destroys the planet earth, harming ecosystems, causing the loss of natural resources and the death of plant and animal species; each of these factors are essential for the maintenance of life throughout the world.
The fight against pollution of the seas is of vital importance, mainly because it corresponds to the environment that houses 60% of the animal species that are part of the planet. Most tend to live around 60 kilometers from coastal areas, so they are greatly affected by polluting influences on the seashore. What has caused the low influx of them in their common regions, generating an imbalance in the seas.
Human beings must be more aware of the seas, sometimes by observing their fullness and magnitude they do not realize the damage in the accumulation of garbage in bodies of water, it is necessary to have a greater care of natural environments and protecting the skies, poles and other sources of water that end up becoming residual. Motivating a relevant change in the customs of man to have greater recovery of aquatic ecosystems.
Negative Effects of Pollution of the Seas
All the effects of pollution have been studied by various specialists where they have highlighted the serious deterioration in the seas and the ocean, being in all cases due to human actions, influencing the balance of the environment and the biodiversity of natural species. .
Water pollution is one of the main causes that millions of species of flora and fauna are affected, either by destruction of their natural habitats, invasion of wandering species, health condition or extinction of food resources; All this has caused the survival of species to be reduced and thus the number of living beings has decreased. Currently, it is estimated that approximately one third of all the seas on planet earth have been affected by the extinction of marine species in various ecosystems or if they are not in a critical state of survival.
One of the main acts that are considered as global catastrophes are oil spills, considered as a great environmental condition due to their destruction in the entire ecosystems of the marine environment, generating thousands of material losses as well as millions of species of animals and plants. Mainly standing out for being a type of contamination that is very difficult to clean, where a part of the crude oil remains attached to nature; and even affecting the water currents where it spills.
Influencing food, because it affects the soils where a great variety of those consumed by society are obtained, therefore, their quality is inferior for human consumption, influencing human health and work activities such as in fishing industries, which reduces their operational volume. The presence of hydrocarbons is very difficult to eliminate, large infrastructures of a high cost are needed to be able to clean the affected coastal areas.
These oil spills have been seen in different regions of the world, becoming known as black spots in the ocean, there are few countries that make an investment in favor of the environment and recovery of affected areas, because they consider it as lost. It should also be noted in this case the plastic islands that roam the ocean, they are built by a large amount of plastic waste that has been accumulating in salt water currents, affecting the seas and the regions in which it circulates.
In the last century an exponential growth has been observed, because it is impossible to clean at the speed that is polluted, more and more industries and people are involved in the accumulation of dirt in the waters, whether by oil, plastic and chemical products. chemicals that take many years to disappear. It should be noted that they not only influence water pollution but also air, land, tides and currents.
Reduce Pollution of the Seas
Society develops by carrying out different practices that allow the economic growth of countries and the advancement of numerous regions, among them is tourism, focused on visiting and learning about natural areas with great attractiveness and popularity. Tourism attracts foreign and local people from each region, some are aware of conserving natural ecosystems but there are others who do not care for the environment.
Marine pollution has generated serious consequences for tourism, destroying the natural areas of the seas, harming the environment. There are some regions worldwide that have been affected by this factor, losing areas such as reefs, coastal areas, beaches that over time have lost their natural element and are damaged by pollutants.
The seas are an area that need the support of governments, companies, companies, institutions and any other entity that collaborates in conserving the natural areas of aquatic ecosystems. Also individually, you can collaborate to avoid marine pollution, avoiding adding garbage to water currents, disposing of liquids that are harmful to species, and among others.
Currently there are many actions that support this option, with the purpose of ecological support for the conservation of the seas and oceans, among them the cleaning tasks involved in the discharges stand out. Among some of the most outstanding examples are those known as Prestige, attracting a wide variety of volunteers who focus on cleaning and collecting the waste accumulated on the coasts of Galicia (Spain). In this way, it contributes its support in the conservation of marine life and aquatic ecosystems.
There are many campaigns focused on creating awareness for the conservation of the aquatic environments of our planet, highlighting the massive destruction and the danger for future generations, therefore, they are stimulated in small actions that will collaborate in taking care not to throw cigarettes, bottles and bags to the sea; maintaining a mentality of environmental conservation of our beaches and coasts.
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