Transcript Pacific Trash Vortex

Pacific Trash Vortex
Aaron Kirby
Kadori Ngirabakunzi
Kevin Washington
CHEM 4110
Dr. Hornbuckle
Learning objectives
Describe the pacific trash vortex
Describe the conditions that made the formation of the trash
vortex possible
Describe the effects of plastics on a marine environment
Describe the process of plastic degradation
Name some proposed methods for cleaning up the trash
vortex
What is the vortex?
A giant collection of floating trash in the Pacific Ocean
Larger than the state of Texas
Particles of plastic float below the surface of the ocean
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/photogalleries/pacificgarbage-patch-pictures/index.html
Where did it come from?
80% comes from pollutants dumped from the land
20% comes from ships dumping trash
COnditions that make
formation favorable
Ocean currents cause the
trash to collect at specific
locations
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Currents.svg/1000px-Currents.svg.png
http://www.5minutesforgoinggreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/pacific-garbage-patch30oct071.gif
What happens to plastic in
the ocean?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Polyethylene-repeat-2D.png
Photodegradation
Absorption of UV light breaks down polymer chains of
plastic
Plastics break into small particles that float under the
surface of the ocean
Particles as deep as 300 feet
The plastic problem
Plastics do not biodegrade
Plastics act as a chemical sponge
Breakdown can take hundreds of years
Effects on marine life
Plastic particles are sucked up by filter feeders
Ingestion of plastics can lead to poisoning
Chemicals are absorbed and concentrated by plastics
Poison filled masses
Seabirds found with cigarette lighters, toothbrushes inside
of their stomachs
Birds and mammals found dead from starvation with their
stomachs full of plastics
Fish are becoming so toxic that they will soon be too
hazardous to eat
200,000 out of the 500,000 Albatrosses die due to being fed
plastics mistakenly by their parents
additional problems
Damage to boats and submarines
Litter beaches
Discourage swimming
Harm commercial and local fisheries
The new sand is “plastic sand”
Transplanting of nuisance species
Harm life at the sea floor
Ocean Trash Vortex Clean
Up
•
Prevention
–
–
–
Educating populations
about the problem
International problem
Giving plastic a value
for recycling
Ocean Trash Vortex Clean
Up
•
Ships with nets to
skim the waters while
in transit across the
sea.
–
–
–
Increase the drag
therefore increasing
cost
Burning more fossile
fuels
May kill sea life
Ocean Trash Vortex Clean Up
•
Microbes that eat
plastics
–
–
•
Not proven
Problem with
introducing foreign life
into environments.
Danial Burd
http://www.barrhead.ca/UserFiles/Image/recycle%20symbol.jpg
References
http://www.chinaclamshell.com/clamshellblog/2010/03/photodegradationmechanism-of-plastic.htm
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/oceans/followthe-journey/trashing-our-oceans