Plastic pollution in Galapagos
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental problems of the contemporary era, as the growing production of single-use plastic products outstrips the world's ability to deal with them.
However, from the convenience offered by the use of plastics, a culture of disposal was generated: today, single-use plastics represent 40 percent of the plastic produced each year. Many of these products, such as bags, plates, plastic utensils, and food wrappers, are used for a few minutes or hours and then discarded, yet they can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
Around the world, people produce about 1,300 million tons of plastic waste per year according to forecasts that warn as one of the consequences of continuing at this rate, in the year 2050 we will have more plastics than fish in the oceans.
Where does this waste end up?
A small part of plastic waste is recycled, another is buried in landfills and most of it is ending up in the oceans. Plastics reach the oceans through rivers and once in the sea, much of the plastic garbage remains in coastal waters. However, when ocean currents trap litter on the surface, it could be dispersed to very distant areas.
In countries with limited garbage collection systems, such as Ecuador, some of the plastic waste ends up in rivers, oceans, or on beaches, potentially damaging wildlife and human health.
The Galapagos Islands are the second largest marine reserve on the planet and were declared a World Heritage Site in 1978 by UNESCO. The Galapagos Islands are considered a biodiversity paradise that host many endemic species. These species have a new enemy: plastic! Studies carried out on the islands have shown the presence of plastic in the habitats of lions and sea turtles, iguanas, and blue-footed boobies, among others. The situation is especially evident on the easternmost island of the archipelago, San Cristóbal.
Water, sand and even some marine animals are already contaminated by plastics. The marine animals of the Galapagos are exposed to the constant risk of swallowing microplastics, being trapped or drowned in them. This especially applies to hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, lions, and sea turtles. Significant accumulations of plastic were found in key habitats, including rocky lava shores and mangroves.
What are micro plastics?
Plastic is designed to be strong and does not degrade easily, so it has been found even in the deepest trenches. In the oceans, plastic fragments are divided into smaller parts due to the action of ultraviolet light, the corrosive characteristics of seawater and constant physical wear and tear from contact with waves and wind. This continuous disintegration is a source of tiny micro and nano plastic particles.
This is corroborated by some research on the islands, in which more than 400 microplastic particles per square meter were found on one of the beaches where the marine iguana, 'mini Godzilla', lives. Microplastics have also been found within more than half of the marine invertebrates studied (such as barnacles and urchins), as well as at the bottom of the sea. Even more critical, out of 123 people tested in the studies, 52% contained microplastics inside!
It is estimated that in 2030 the amount of microplastics in the region will be about 3,9 times higher than in 2008 and the estimates for 2050 are even more pessimistic. For this year it is estimated that the amount of micro plastics will double and in 2100 it will be enormous 10 times greater than in 2008. What, beyond being a number, can be interpreted as a greater negative impact on both the environment, life in the oceans and therefore the quality of life of our society.
Considering that many of the large cities are located on the coasts, the seas near them often contain large amounts of plastic that harm the fishing industry and affect the safety of seafood. However, it is important to mention that plastic pollution travels very far, in the form of microplastics and the place of generation of plastic waste is not necessarily the place of contamination, since microplastics are lightweight and easily transported by ocean currents.
The results of the analysis suggest that most of the plastic pollution in the Galapagos comes mainly through ocean currents. Only 2% of the elements and fragments larger than 5mm came from the islands, but the true figure could be higher, according to the scientists. In other words, we are all part of the problem of pollution of the coasts and oceans and consequently we can all contribute to the solution.
The use of plastics made from fossil fuels has increased after World War II, thus transforming the modern era. Plastic revolutionized medicine with life-saving devices, equipment to facilitate the transport of drinking water, made space travel possible, lightened cars and airplanes, saving fuel and therefore reducing CO2 emissions, among others.
