L2 - Marine Pollution
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Give 2 definitions of Marine Pollution
• Contamination of the environment as a result of human activities • The addition of non-natural components into a natural environment
What are the 5 main types of pollution
• Degradable Wastes • Fertilisers • Dissipating Wastes • Conservative Wastes • Solid Wastes
What type of waste never degrades or dissipates?
Conservative Wastes
What are the 5 main sources of pollution (with examples)?
• Point Source Outfalls (Sewage Outfall) • Diffuse Inputs (Fertilisers) • Shipping (Routine Tank Washing Operations) • Offshore Inputs (Oil & Gas Industry) • Atmospheric Inputs (Fallout)
Where has there been an exception on the impact of dissipating wastes and it has actually causes increased biodiversity?
Dungess Power Station
How much Lead and Mercury is released into the marine environment annually through Atmospheric Inputs?
Pb - 400,000 tonnes/year via rainfall Hg - 3,000 tonnes from fossil fuels
How much metal, plastic and glass enters the marine environment daily?
4.8 million pieces of metal 450,000 pieces of plastic 300,000 pieces of glass
Give 9 source of litter
• Beach Visitors • Sewer Overflows • Fly Tipping • Fishing Gear • Illegal Dumping • Tidal Flow • River and Stream Flow • Ocean Currents • Sewage Discharge
What is the definition of litter?
“Any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment” (UNEP)
Which type of litter is of the greatest concern and why?
Plastic due to the Throw Away Culture we have
How much plastic that has ever been produced is in the global marine system?
10%
How much litter is dumped annually into the North Sea?
20,000 tonnes
How does floating plastic cause problems?
It causes entanglement and it can travel long distances
What impact does plastic have because it doesn’t biodegrade?
It only breaks down into smaller pellets and is often mistaken for food by biota and filer feeders which leads to starvation due to blocking
What % of seabirds, marine mammals and marine turtles are harmed due to plastic?
44% of seabirds 43% of marine mammals 86% of marine turtles
What are the 3 main hazards associated with offshore litter?
• It ends up on beaches and at the seabed • Entanglement of Wildlife • Accumulation in fish and shellfish
What are the 3 issues requiring conservation due to litter?
• Direct - Ingestion • Indirect - Toxicity • Ecosystem Impacts
What food item is plastic often mistaken for?
Jelly Fish
For every ½ kg of surface water plankton there is how much plastic? and which species are at risk as a result?
5kg Filter Feeders and Seabirds
What % of albatross have plastic in them before they leave the nest?
98%
What % of Green Turtles have shown ingestion of plastic/litter?
60%
A Minke Whale was found stranded in France, how much plastic was found in its stomach?
800 kg
What % of Puffins in the North Sea have had plastic in their stomachs and what was the main source?
13% Elastic Bands
Why does plastic pose a risk of toxicity?
Plastics accumulate pollutants and there are risks of bioaccumulation through the food chain (as far as Humans!)