A few months ago, I wrote an article on Hurdles Caused by Nurdles. Nurdles are small plastic pellets used to manufacture various plastic products. They pose a serious threat to the marine ecosystem as it is very likely for a marine animal to mistake nurdles as prey. Recently, a detailed research into the seriousness of the plastic pollution in oceans revealed un uncomfortable truth.

           The research paper, posted on the renowned journal Science, is one of the first papers to accurately estimate the amount of plastics that enter the sea through various sources. It was conducted by a team of scientists at the University of Georgia, with Prof. Jenna Jambeck as the director of the study. For the detailed report, you can visit this website:

           The results were quite astounding: the amount of plastic that entered the oceans just in the year 2010 can range from 4.8 million metric tons to 12.7 million metric tons. The director of the study, Ms. Jambeck was quoted as saying that the mean estimate, about 8 million metric tons, is equal to "five plastic grocery bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world". I was just shocked at this description, and learnt that the amount of plastic floating in oceans is far beyond our imaginations.

           What is even more heartbreaking is that the amount of plastics being emitted into the oceans, as well as the total amount, is increasing day by day. This means that there would be even more plastics in the ocean as you are reading this report now, as the research was mainly conducted in 2010. Furthermore, recent research also suggests that plastics in oceans is much more harmful than we usually think. It is reported that the toxic chemical coating from plastics, as well as the sheer presence of plastics themselves,. has a tremendous impact on the marine ecosystem.

           Whatever the reasons, it is time for us now to take even stronger action against plastic pollution in oceans, before they begin to threaten even our lives, which may be taking action even now.

BELOW:

AN INFOGRAPHIC IMAGE OF THE EQUIVALENTS OF EIGHT MILLION METRIC TONS OF PLASTIC