Individual Presentation or Panel Title
The Effects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on Human and Environmental Health
Abstract
Plastics have been called the perfect invention because of their durability and resistance to degradation by both chemical and physical means. Plastics that have been discarded or lost may persist in the environment for longer periods of time and collect in large masses. In the northern Pacific Ocean, called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” there is a gyre of discarded plastics (e.g., bottles, netting) covering nearly 538,000 square miles. The gyre is a basin of water where currents flow in a circular motion and debris ends up collecting in a centralized area. Plastic pollution is jeopardizing the health of birds and marine life, as well as human health (because of bioaccumulation occurring in our food supply). Research shows 93 percent of Americans have Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical component of plastics, in their tissues. Currently, we use landfills to dispose of our plastic products; however, wind transports plastics (e.g., bags) to our oceans. Oceanographers are still researching ways to clean up the garbage patch, but the plastic accumulation continues to increase. As responsible citizens, we should change our behavior of current plastic usage to reduce our negative impacts on the of health of humans and the environment.
Location
Janney Lounge
Start Date
11-4-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
11-4-2015 3:20 PM
The Effects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on Human and Environmental Health
Janney Lounge
Plastics have been called the perfect invention because of their durability and resistance to degradation by both chemical and physical means. Plastics that have been discarded or lost may persist in the environment for longer periods of time and collect in large masses. In the northern Pacific Ocean, called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” there is a gyre of discarded plastics (e.g., bottles, netting) covering nearly 538,000 square miles. The gyre is a basin of water where currents flow in a circular motion and debris ends up collecting in a centralized area. Plastic pollution is jeopardizing the health of birds and marine life, as well as human health (because of bioaccumulation occurring in our food supply). Research shows 93 percent of Americans have Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical component of plastics, in their tissues. Currently, we use landfills to dispose of our plastic products; however, wind transports plastics (e.g., bags) to our oceans. Oceanographers are still researching ways to clean up the garbage patch, but the plastic accumulation continues to increase. As responsible citizens, we should change our behavior of current plastic usage to reduce our negative impacts on the of health of humans and the environment.