The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
A garbage patch means the trash in a specific area of the world. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch refers to the two patches- the Eastern Patch, which lays between Hawaii and California, and secondly the Western Garbage Patch, located near Japan. The patch was discovered in 1985, and is around the size of the state of Texas. Lots of this plastic ends up in the stomach of marine life, therefore lots of effort has been put into cleaning up this area of the ocean. (4). The creation of this patch is a result of individual disposal decisions. Awareness is the main power tool to ensure that patches like this one don’t become common in our oceans.
Plastic is the main component of the patch due to big company production benefits paired with the plastic’s inability of biodegradability. The North Pacific Subtropical gyre and Subtropical Convergence makes this patch become a good current medium. (2).
Because the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is between Japan and the United States, not one country is responsible for the cleanup. This makes it difficult to protect the ocean due to the lack of enforcement. There are certain preventative laws that exist, such as the Marin Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, as well as the Shore Protection Act or SPA. (6).
“About 80% of the debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from land-based activities in North America and Asia.” (2)
A portion of the trash that’s currently in the ocean comes from ships and shoreline. “The debris on shores is being blown out to sea and picked up by the tides.” (3).
The Impact:
Marine life, birds, and other animals are ingesting the trash from this patch. Humans are impacted by the toxins from these plastic products as well as the animals; some including cadmium, mercury, and lead- which can lead to cancer. (3).
How We Can Help:
Using biodegradable plastics is a good start to the prevention of plastic debris in our oceans. The removal of plastics and trash is important in helping reduce the amount that is already there. Fungi can even be used to help decompose plastics. (1) Human behavior has to change; switching to biodegradable materials is a must. Pharmacy intervention measures can be taken to help the situation as well. Medication bottles having designated recycling bins and encouraging customers to recycle their products are both easy steps that can be taken.
Preventative Measures:
Certain individuals have gotten involved with the prevention of pollution due to the lack of progress in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch issue. For example, Boyon Slat has created barrier system that removes trash without disrupting sea life around it. He describes this invention as “long floating curtains”, which removes 98% of the plastic and trash from the water. (5).
The plastic has to be removed to prevent the pollution of the marine life and water because it won’t degrade on its own. Fish, birds, marine life, and even humans are being affected by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch- it’s time that someone takes ownership and conducts a big clean up.
Resources
1: Barnhart, Andrew; Bisong, Lawrence; Brittenham, Mckenzie; and Eccher, Emma, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (November 9, 2017). Introduction to Public Health Posters.
2: National Geographic Society. (2014). Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Retrieved from nationalgeographic.org: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
3: Andrews, G. (2012). Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health. On the Cutting Edge.
4: dianna.parker. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch | OR&R’s Marine Debris Program.” Dianna.parker, 11 July 2013, marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html.
5: Raphael, J. (2016). Meet the 22-Year-Old With a Big Idea for Cleaning Up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Public Radio International
