Hey All-
I'm posting my Project Background this week since I had some in field work that I did last week. I've updated my research question to be more focused on the types of waste present in waterways. Since a majority of trash in the ocean originates on land, I wanted to get an idea of the types of trash making its way into our oceans. I want to continue to explore this project beyond this semester and expand upon the findings each term.
Research Question: What are the primary types of waste in
waterways?
Hypothesis: If we can identify the waste present, we can
identify the source.
I believe the majority of waste that will be found at site
visits will be one time use plastics. Other items may include Styrofoam,
aluminum and paper.
What is currently known and why its important to expand on
this knowledge:
“Due to their
very slow degradation periods, plastics have become ubiquitous and have been
associated with marine health impacts7 such as entanglement9, ingestion , the potential dispersal of
invasive species and toxicity, and contamination through trophic levels.” (Ostle
et al., 2019). A main concern in dealing with plastics is the effect they have
on the environment. Plastics break down through Ultraviolet light into smaller
and smaller pieces. These pieces can be ingested by marine life and cause
damage to the ecosystem.
“A vast majority
of marine plastic pollution derives from land-based sources (4.8–12.7 million
metric tonnes of plastic annually)3, so a sole focus on marine oriented
solutions is insufficient. The sources of such plastics are equally diverse,
from commercial and recreational ships and vessels, fishing and aquaculture operations
(rope, waste, fishing gear, nets) to land based sources, street litter,
dumping, packaging (including plastic bags), plastic sheeting and production
waste” (Haward, 2018). So far we are able to tell that a majority of
trash is from land-based sources. As evidenced through the research I have been
conducting, many pieces of trash found in the Tres Rios is one time use
plastics. Plastics ranging from water bottles to food containers were found in
and around the river. During my time at the confluence, I observed several
different birds in the shallow water, picking at the greenery. I noticed
several people with fishing rods that had been fishing in the river. I cannot
help but recognize the damage these plastics have on the ecosystem that have
the potential to affect both wildlife and humans.
“Community action
can include initiatives that reduce the amount of plastic entering the marine
environment, a focus on recycling and reusing plastics, and continue to improve
public awareness of the impacts and vectors of marine plastic pollution, as
well as practical mechanisms such as litter traps” (Haward, 2018). Expanding
current knowledge on the dangers of plastics in waterways will help us have a
positive impact on the environment. Continuing to educate the public on how to
recycle, where to recycle and opportunities to reduce our waste footprint will
benefit generations to come. The more we discuss the problem and form potential
solutions, the higher the chances of saving wildlife and ecosystems.
Sources:
Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2018, September 01). Plastic pollution. Retrieved April 09, 2021, from https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution
Ostle, C., Thompson, R.,
Broughton, D., Gregory, L., Wootton, M., & Johns, D. (2019, April 16). The
rise in ocean plastics evidenced from a 60-year time series. Retrieved April
02, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6467903/
Haward, M. (2018, February
14). Plastic pollution of the world's seas and oceans as a contemporary
challenge in ocean governance. Retrieved April 02, 2021, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5812987/
