The Haunting Side of Plastic Pollution

by Zaira Hira

The first fully synthetic plastic also known as bakelite was created in the early 20th century. Bakelite was not only a good insulator; it was also durable, heat resistant, and, Bakelite was mouldable into almost anything. It was a revolutionary invention. The demand for plastic plummeted during the World War II where it was used in helmet linings, body armour, parachutes and ropes. Since then, the demand for plastics has increased till present day.
While having numerous uses in homes, industries and market, plastic's uncontrolled production has led to a troublesome situation for our planet. The worst property of plastic is its inability to decompose. They stay in the environment forever. Biodegradable plastics may decompose but only under controlled conditions.

A few months ago, an image of a seahorse took over the internet like storm. It was captured by Justin Hofman. Seahorses grab onto sea weeds so that they may carried away by currents. This seahorse found a cotton bud instead of a weed. The image portrayed how polluted the waters have become. It created some awareness about water pollution. Image courtesy - National Geographic.
Inappropriate disposal of plastics is posing serious threats to life on earth. Marine animals are suffering the most. Plastics when exposed to sunlight and waves breakdown into smaller pieces referred to as microplastic. Microplastics are consumed by fish and smaller organisms likes plankton and fleas.

The image shows an experiment conducted by Stockholm university on a flea that was exposed to microplastics. Microplastics glow green in this 3mm long flea. This is an alarming situation.
Image courtesy - National Geographic

The animals exposed to plastics are suffering badly and the extent of suffering is beyond our imagination. In the following image, every piece of plastic was found inside single albatross chick. According to the photographer Mandy Barker , all represent “parts of something we could have once used”.

Image courtesy - National Geographic

The trash thrown in the oceans travel as far as continents. Henderson Island is a tiny, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. though it is inhabited and very small, more than 19 tons of trash litter its white, sandy beaches.It is surprising that such an amount of trash reaches a far away, uninhabited island.

This stork would have been choked if it the plastic bag weren't removed on time. Many birds get suffocated by bags each year.
Image courtesy - National Geographic

This hermit crab resorts to a plastic bottle cap to protect its soft body. Beach goers collect the shells the crabs normally use, and they leave trash behind.
Image courtesy - National Geographic

The consequences

The cycle starting from plastic production and ending in plastic disposal affect the humans directly. The amount of waste accumulating is beyond our imagination. Believe it or not the following picture shows a tributary of Pasig river in Philippines.

Image courtesy - National Geographic
The damage to our environment caused by plastic is heartbreaking. The damage we cause in return affects us. The fish that consume plastic become our lunch. The innocent birds that get trapped in plastic bags or turtles and fish that get entangled in plastic fishing nets are experiencing a suffering they don't deserve. We need to be careful and start taking action now.

Image courtesy- National Geographic
Our oceans already look like this (see above figure). This is a hideous site. The Left image shows plastic shavings and waste from factories while the right image shows the printer ink cartridges that polluted the waters as a result of the vessel accident that carried them.
Some students took samples of polluted waters and froze them in the form of popsicle. The results were well .. not very apetizing. The Popsicle would probably taste like cigarette butts and oil. Just imagine eating them! And not to forget how fish manage to live in these waters.

Image courtesy National Geographic

If we take action now we might be able to save our planet from the catastrophe that awaits us.

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Zaira Hira is a Services Operations Specialist at Telenor PK. 

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