Sporticals

Water Pollution 

 

For my issue, I chose to write about water pollution.

Over the past couple of years, this has become a drastically growing problem. Not to say that water pollution was ever really NOT a threat, but over the last decades, the quality of the water in Hong Kong has decreased acutely.

Although the government had begun to take action over the past couple of decades resulting improvements in the southern and eastern waters, the problem is still getting worse in the western waters as a result of the heightening of waste water and sewage diverted and dumped into the area as well as increased pollution in the Pearl River.

 

Side Effects and Possible Threats:

With Hong Kong's stunning marine biodiversity that includes over 1000 marine species, and 80 species of coral (more than the Caribbean Sea), has intensely deteriorated.  Scientists have predicted waters that are close to ecosystem collapse, which would have a disastrous effect on the marine biodiversity.

Possible threats:

- Oil Spills:

 Oil spillage is one of the deadliest type of water pollution, because not only does it cause things such as skin/eye irritation, blindness, it can also cause animals like birds unable to fly and move properly. As well as that, oil also affects coral reefs negatively, blocks the sun when it floats up, and clogs up the gills of the fish making it impossible for them to breathe.

- Toxic Materials:

  Unfortunately, Oil spills are not the only source of water pollution, water pollution can also be added to through toxic materials. Toxic materials such as plastic bags, balloons, cans, medical waste and milk carton are also a big part of marine pollution. Toxic materials such as these could cause entanglement, starvation, strangulation, drowning, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, lesions, reproductive changes and even death.

Even toxic materials such as Mercury and dioxins manage to find their way into the ocean and in the fish, not only does this affect the marine life, this also affects us as we are the ones catching and eating the fish, creating real long term damage.

* ‘How much plastic is in the ocean?’ Might you ask? Well, scientists estimate that there is a hundred million metric tons of plastic debris in the ocean.

 

Statistics and Facts:

• According to the Marin Academy's Oceanography website there are over 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in each square mile of ocean off of the Northeast coast of the United States, unfortunately, this plastic contributes to the death of 100,000 marine mammals and two million sea birds yearly.

• The US Fish and Wildlife track the daily death toll from the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As of mid-June, 2010, the spill has contributed to the death of 658 sea birds, 279 sea turtles, 36 sea mammals, and countless fish.

• 60% of a rare species of iguanas on the Galapagos Islands died after an oil spill off the coast of those islands in 2001.

 

How to help?

There are many little things you could do to help decrease marine pollution such as:

• Use renewable bags when shopping instead of plastic ones

• Store food in reusable containers

• Don’t litter

• Recycle

• Avoid products that come with excess

• Volunteer your time at your local beach to help clean up

• Donate to an organization that raises awareness of marine pollution