Project Background

 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/