Garbage patch: Difference between revisions

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{{shortShort description|Gyre of marine debris}}

[[File:Beach trash (30870156434).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Trash washed ashore in [[Hawaii]] from the [[Great Pacific Garbage Patch]]]]

A '''garbage patch''' is a [[ocean gyre|gyre]] of [[marine debris]] particles caused by the effects of [[ocean current]]s and increasing [[plastic pollution]] by human populations. These human-caused collections of plastic and other debris are responsible for ecosystem and environmental problems that affect marine life, contaminate oceans with toxic chemicals, and contribute to [[greenhouse gas emissions]]. Once waterborne, marine debris becomes mobile. Flotsam can be blown by the wind, or follow the flow of ocean currents, often ending up in the middle of [[oceanic gyre]]s where currents are weakest.

Within garbage patches, the waste is not compact, and although most of it is near the surface of the ocean, it can be found up to more than {{convert|100|ft|m|order=flip}} deep in the water.<ref name="debris north pacific">{{cite web |date=24 July 2015 |title=Marine Debris in the North Pacific A Summary of Existing Information and Identification of Data Gaps |url=http://www.epa.gov/region9/marine-debris/pdf/MarineDebris-NPacFinalAprvd.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508122325/http://www.epa.gov/region9/marine-debris/pdf/MarineDebris-NPacFinalAprvd.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 8, 2012 |website=United States Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref> Patches contain plastics and debris in a range of sizes from [[Microplasticsmicroplastics]] and small scale [[plastic pellet pollution]], to large objects such as [[Ghost net|fishing nets]] and consumer goods and appliances lost from flood and shipping loss.

Garbage patches grow because of widespread loss of plastic from human trash collection systems. The [[United Nations Environmental Program]] estimated that "for every square mile of ocean" there are about "46,000 pieces of plastic".<ref name=":2">{{cite book|last=Maser |first=Chris|title=Interactions of Land, Ocean and Humans: A Global Perspective |publisher=CRC Press|year=2014 |isbn=978-1482226393|pages=147–48}}</ref> The 10 largest emitters of oceanic plastic pollution worldwide are, from the most to the least, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jambeck|first1=Jenna R. |author-link1=Jenna Jambeck|last2=Geyer|first2=Roland|author-link2=Roland Geyer|last3=Wilcox|first3=Chris|date=12 February 2015|title=Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean|journal=Science|volume=347|issue=6223|page=769|bibcode=2015Sci...347..768J|doi=10.1126/science.1260352|pmid=25678662|s2cid=206562155|url=https://www.iswa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Calendar_2011_03_AMERICANA/Science-2015-Jambeck-768-71__2_.pdf|access-date=28 August 2018|archive-date=22 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122073818/https://www.iswa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Calendar_2011_03_AMERICANA/Science-2015-Jambeck-768-71__2_.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> largely through the rivers [[Yangtze River|Yangtze]], [[Indus River|Indus]], [[Yellow River|Yellow]], [[Hai River|Hai]], [[Nile River|Nile]], [[Ganges River|Ganges]], [[Pearl River|Pearl]], [[Amur River|Amur]], [[Niger River|Niger]], and the [[Mekong River|Mekong]], and accounting for "90 percent of all the plastic that reaches the world's oceans".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Christian Schmidt |last2=Tobias Krauth|last3=Stephan Wagner|date=11 October 2017 |title=Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea |url=http://oceanrep.geomar.de/43169/4/es7b02368_si_001.pdf |journal=[[Environmental Science & Technology]]|volume=51 |issue=21 |pages=12246–12253|bibcode=2017EnST...5112246S |doi=10.1021/acs.est.7b02368|pmid=29019247|quote=The 10 top-ranked rivers transport 88–95% of the global load into the sea}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Harald |last=Franzen|date=30 November 2017|title=Almost all plastic in the ocean comes from just 10 rivers|work=[[Deutsche Welle]]|url=https://p.dw.com/p/2oTF6|access-date=18 December 2018|quote=It turns out that about 90 percent of all the plastic that reaches the world's oceans gets flushed through just 10 rivers: The Yangtze, the Indus, Yellow River, Hai River, the Nile, the Ganges, Pearl River, Amur River, the Niger, and the Mekong (in that order).}}</ref> Asia was the leading source of mismanaged [[plastic waste]], with China alone accounting for 2.4 million metric tons.<ref>{{cite news|author=Robert Lee Hotz|date=13 February 2015|title=Asia Leads World in Dumping Plastic in Seas|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB20530567965804683707904580457713291864670|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223140548/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB20530567965804683707904580457713291864670 |archive-date=23 February 2015}}</ref>

The best known of these is the [[Great Pacific garbageGarbage patchPatch]] which has the highest density of marine debris and plastic. The Pacific Garbage patch has two mass buildups: the western garbage patch and the eastern garbage patch, the former off the coast of [[Japan]] and the latter between [[HawaiiCalifornia]] and [[CaliforniaHawaii]]. These garbage patches contain {{convert|100|e6short ton|e6t|order=flip|abbr=off|sigfig=1}} of debris.<ref name="debris north pacific" /> Other identified patches include the [[North Atlantic garbage patch]] between North America and Africa, the [[South Atlantic garbage patch]] located between eastern South America and the tip of Africa, the [[South Pacific garbage patch]] located west of South America, and the [[Indian Ocean garbage patch]] found east of South Africa listed in order of decreasing size.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cózar |first1=Andrés |last2=Echevarría |first2=Fidel |last3=González-Gordillo |first3=J. Ignacio |last4=Irigoien |first4=Xabier |last5=Úbeda |first5=Bárbara |last6=Hernández-León |first6=Santiago |last7=Palma |first7=Álvaro T. |last8=Navarro |first8=Sandra |last9=García-de-Lomas |first9=Juan |last10=Ruiz |first10=Andrea |last11=Fernández-de-Puelles |first11=María L. |date=2014-07-15 |title=Plastic debris in the open ocean |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=111 |issue=28 |pages=10239–10244 |bibcode=2014PNAS..11110239C |doi=10.1073/pnas.1314705111 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=4104848 |pmid=24982135 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Identified patches ==

[[File:Currents.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|Of the five gyres on this map, all have significant garbage patches.]]In 2014, there were five areas across all the oceans where the majority of plastic concentrated.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal|last1=Cózar|first1=Andrés|last2=Echevarría|first2=Fidel|last3=González-Gordillo|first3=J. Ignacio|last4=Irigoien|first4=Xabier|last5=Úbeda|first5=Bárbara|last6=Hernández-León|first6=Santiago|last7=Palma|first7=Álvaro T.|last8=Navarro|first8=Sandra|last9=García-de-Lomas|first9=Juan|last10=Ruiz|first10=Andrea|last11=Fernández-de-Puelles|first11=María L.|date=2014-07-15|title=Plastic debris in the open ocean|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=111|issue=28|pages=10239–10244|bibcode=2014PNAS..11110239C|doi=10.1073/pnas.1314705111|issn=0027-8424|pmc=4104848|pmid=24982135|doi-access=free}}</ref> Researchers collected a total of 3070 samples across the world to identify hot spots of surface level plastic pollution. The pattern of distribution closely mirrored models of oceanic currents with the North Pacific Gyre, or [[Great Pacific garbage patch|Great Pacific Garbage Patch]], being the highest density of plastic accumulation. The other four garbage patches include the [[North Atlantic garbage patch]] between the North America and Africa, the [[South Atlantic garbage patch]] located between eastern South America and the tip of Africa, the [[South Pacific garbage patch]] located west of South America, and the [[Indian Ocean garbage patch]] found east of South Africa.<ref name=":10" />

=== Great Pacific ===

{{Excerpt|Great Pacific garbageGarbage patchPatch|only=paragraphs}}

=== South Pacific ===

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The [[2017 United Nations Ocean Conference]] estimated that the oceans might contain more weight in plastics than fish by the year 2050.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wright|first=Pam |date=6 June 2017|title=UN Ocean Conference: Plastics Dumped In Oceans Could Outweigh Fish by 2050, Secretary-General Says|publisher=The Weather Channel |url=https://weather.com/science/environment/news/united-nations-ocean-conference-antonio-guterres-plastics|access-date=5 May 2018}}</ref> Some long-lasting plastics end up in the stomachs of marine animals.<ref name="natural history2">{{cite magazine|last=Moore|first=Charles |date=November 2003|title=Across the Pacific Ocean, plastics, plastics, everywhere |url=http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/master.html?http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/1103/1103_feature.html |magazine=[[Natural History (magazine)|Natural History Magazine]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Holmes|first=Krissy|date=18 January 2014 |title=Harbour snow dumping dangerous to environment: biologist|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/harbour-snow-dumping-dangerous-to-environment-biologist-1.2501993}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Jan Pronk|url=https://www.pri.org/person/jan-pronk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606221847/http://www.globalpost.com/taxonomy/term/38249|archive-date=6 June 2014|website=Public Radio International}}</ref> Plastic attracts seabirds and fish. When marine life consumes plastic allowing it to enter the food chain, this can lead to greater problems when species that have consumed plastic are then eaten by other predators.

Animals can also become trapped in plastic nets and rings, which can cause death. Plastic pollution affects at least 700 marine species, including sea turtles, seals, seabirds, fish, whales, and dolphins.<ref>{{cite web|date=2019-04-22|title=These 5 Marine Animals Are Dying Because of Our Plastic Trash… Here's How We Can Help|url=https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/marine-animals-are-dying-because-of-our-plastic-trash/|access-date=2020-06-10|website=One Green Planet|language=en}}</ref> Cetaceans have been sighted within the patch, which poses entanglement and ingestion risks to animals using the Great Pacific garbageGarbage patchPatch as a migration corridor or core habitat.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gibbs|first1=Susan E.|last2=Salgado Kent|first2=Chandra P.|last3=Slat|first3=Boyan|last4=Morales|first4=Damien|last5=Fouda|first5=Leila|last6=Reisser|first6=Julia|date=9 April 2019|title=Cetacean sightings within the Great Pacific Garbage Patch|journal=Marine Biodiversity|volume=49|issue=4|pages=2021–27|doi=10.1007/s12526-019-00952-0|doi-access=free|bibcode=2019MarBd..49.2021G }}</ref>

==== Plastic consumption ====

[[File:Plastic_Bag_Jelly_Fish.jpg|alt=|thumb|An exhibit at the [[Mote Marine Laboratory]] that displays plastic bags in the ocean that look similar to [[jellyfish]].]]

With the increased amount of plastic in the ocean, living organisms are now at a greater risk of harm from plastic consumption and entanglement. Approximately 23% of aquatic mammals, and 36% of seabirds have experienced the detriments of plastic presence in the ocean.<ref name=":22">{{cite journal|last=Sigler|first=Michelle|date=2014-10-18|title=The Effects of Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Wildlife: Current Situations and Future Solutions|journal=Water, Air, & Soil Pollution|language=en|volume=225|issue=11|pages=2184|doi=10.1007/s11270-014-2184-6|bibcode=2014WASP..225.2184S |issn=1573-2932|s2cid=51944658}}</ref> Since as much as 70% of the trash is estimated to be on the ocean floor, and [[microplastics]] are only millimeters wide, sealife at nearly every level of the food chain is affected.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Perkins|first=Sid|date=17 December 2014|title=Plastic waste taints the ocean floors|url=https://www.nature.com/news/plastic-waste-taints-the-ocean-floors-1.16581|journal=Nature|doi=10.1038/nature.2014.16581|s2cid=138018931|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Handwerk|first=Brian|date=2009|title=Giant Ocean-Trash Vortex Attracts Explorers|url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/090731-ocean-trash-pacific.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090803165007/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/090731-ocean-trash-pacific.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 3, 2009|website=National Geographic}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ivar Do Sul|first1=Juliana A.|last2=Costa|first2=Monica F.|date=2014-02-01|title=The present and future of microplastic pollution in the marine environment|journal=Environmental Pollution|language=en|volume=185|pages=352–364|doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.036|issn=0269-7491|pmid=24275078|bibcode=2014EPoll.185..352I }}</ref> Animals who feed off of the bottom of the ocean risk sweeping microplastics into their systems while gathering food.<ref name=":4">{{cite web|title=Marine Plastics|url=http://ocean.si.edu/conservation/pollution/marine-plastics|access-date=2019-11-08|website=Smithsonian Ocean|date=30 April 2018 |language=en}}</ref> Smaller marine life such as mussels and worms sometimes mistake plastic for their prey.<ref name=":22" /><ref>{{cite journal|last=Kaiser|first=Jocelyn|date=2010-06-18|title=The Dirt on Ocean Garbage Patches|journal=Science|language=en|volume=328|issue=5985|pages=1506|doi=10.1126/science.328.5985.1506|issn=0036-8075|pmid=20558704|doi-access=free|bibcode=2010Sci...328.1506K }}</ref>

Larger animals are also affected by plastic consumption because they feed on fish, and are indirectly consuming microplastics already trapped inside their prey.<ref name=":4" /> Likewise, humans are also susceptible to microplastic consumption. People who eat seafood also eat some of the microplastics that were ingested by marine life. Oysters and clams are popular vehicles for human microplastic consumption.<ref name=":4" /> Animals who are within the general vicinity of the water are also affected by the plastic in the ocean. Studies have shown 36% species of seabirds are consuming plastic because they mistake larger pieces of plastic for food.<ref name=":22" /> Plastic can cause blockage of intestines as well as tearing of interior stomach and intestinal lining of marine life, ultimately leading to starvation and death.<ref name=":22" />