Does marine pollution, including plastic, pose a serious problem for marine ecosystems and endanger human health? How can we clean up the seas and oceans from human-generated pollution? How can we reduce the scale of the problem of marine pollution with waste that is toxic to the biosphere and humans?
Ocean pollution, including plastic pollution, is a serious problem that threatens marine ecosystems and human health worldwide. Millions of tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans every year, where it breaks down into microplastics that pollute the water, settle on the seabed and enter the food chain. Plastic threatens the lives of marine animals that mistake it for food, leading to death by suffocation, entanglement or damage to the digestive tract. Microplastics that enter the food chain can also end up in the human body, where they can cause health problems. In addition to plastic, the oceans are polluted with other substances such as heavy metals, pesticides and sewage, which also endanger marine ecosystems and human health. An effective solution to the problem of ocean pollution requires action on many levels, such as reducing plastic production, recycling plastic, cleaning up the oceans and promoting sustainable fishing. Scientific research plays an important role in solving this problem by providing the knowledge and analysis necessary to develop effective strategies.
I have described the key issues concerning the problem of the ongoing process of global warming, the negative effects of this process and, consequently, the need to increase the scale and speed up the process of the green transformation of the economy, climate protection, the biosphere and biodiversity of the planet in the following article:
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT AS A KEY ELEMENT OF THE PRO-ECOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE ECONOMY TOWARDS GREEN ECONOMY AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Article IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY DEVE...
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In the expansive marine environment, low concentrations of fragmented microplastics pose significant and concealed threats. These minute particles are ubiquitous, leading to inadvertent ingestion by numerous marine species. While short-term exposure may not manifest obvious symptoms, prolonged exposure to such a contaminated environment can be detrimental. Microplastics accumulate in organisms over time, akin to fine sand infiltrating precision machinery, severely disrupting normal physiological functions. For instance, in plankton, the presence of microplastics can impede the digestive process, hindering effective nutrient absorption, which subsequently adversely affects growth rates and reproductive capabilities. In fish, microplastics can enter the body via gill filaments, causing physical damage to gill tissues and interfering with the nervous system, thereby affecting swimming posture, directional perception, and the ability to detect danger. Over time, this accumulation threatens the population dynamics and structure of marine organisms, disrupts the balance of the entire marine ecosystem, and poses unprecedented challenges to biodiversity.
The circulation of microplastics within marine ecosystems will inevitably have repercussions on human health. As apex consumers in the food chain, humans ingest a significant amount of seafood daily, much of which is contaminated with microplastics. Whether it be common shellfish or a diverse array of fish, these organisms can serve as vectors for microplastic entry into the human body. Once ingested, microplastics can induce a range of health issues. Their physical properties enable them to irritate human tissues and elicit inflammatory responses, akin to immune reactions triggered by foreign bodies. More critically, the rough surfaces of microplastics facilitate the adsorption of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, which can enter human cells alongside microplastics, disrupt normal physiological metabolic processes, and potentially damage genetic material, leading to gene mutations and significantly increasing the risk of cancer, endocrine disorders, and other serious diseases. This poses a severe threat to human health and safety.
Our research team is currently conducting chronic ecotoxicity studies on long-term exposure to micropollutants using model organisms such as zebrafish and farmed fish. If you are interested, we welcome opportunities for collaborative research.
Fragmented microplastics not only represent a significant threat to marine life and, indirectly, to humans, but also directly impact our health through the daily consumption of plastic-packaged beverages, including water.
When these containers are exposed to high temperatures or stored for long periods, they can release various chemical compounds, such as bisphenols, phthalates, aldehydes, styrene and dioxins. Some of these, in addition to affecting health, have been identified as potentially carcinogenic, as is the case with styrene and dioxins.
The problem of marine litter is also targeted in the European Union legislation and in 2008 In the adopted Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD), Member States are required to achieve or maintain ‘Good Environmental Status’ by 2020 at the latest (Good Environmental Status; Ecological status of marine waters healthy, clean, productive, ongoing and sustainable, with a variety of dynamic and utilisation situations guarantee their sustainable utilisation to meet future needs represents the environmental situation in which it can be achieved). One of the key aspects of the implementation of the WFD Criteria and methodological standards for Environmental Condition descriptors (11) (Galgani et al., 2010, 2013). One of the 11 descriptors specified under the Directive is is also related to marine litter (Descriptor 10).
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Microplastic pollution is a major issue, harming marine life through ingestion and entanglement, with over 800 species affected. Humans may ingest microplastics via seafood, potentially risking health. Microplastics can absorb toxic chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These can leach into water and move up into the food chain ultimately consumed by humans, potentially causing endocrine disruption and other health issues
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