Plankton vs. Plastic: How Garbage Impacted the Health of Our Ocean

In humans, BPA, which is found in plastic, has been linked to obesity, prostate cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, low sperm count in men, brain disorders, and a slew of other diseases. But did you know it can also affect fish?

Studies have shown that BPA can affect growth, reproduction and development in aquatic inter vertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles, with fish being the most sensitive species reported at very low exposure levels. Releases of BPA to the environment exceed 1 million pounds per year, and evidence also indicates that it can currently be found in municipal wastewater. Now you might be asking yourself, how does BPA from plastics get into the ocean?

The answer is garbage, literally. BPA can contaminate the environment either directly or through degradation of products containing BPA, such as ocean-borne plastic trash. Ever heard of the North Pacific Garbage Patch? It’s a mass of plastic, twice the size of Texas, floating in a current between San Francisco and Hawaii. In this area, there are 46 times more plastic than plankton. The plastic eventually breaks down into particles so small that fish mistake them for food. And the debris that wash ashore has created miles of coastline coved with plastic instead of sand.

Right now we can’t take back the garbage we threw out there. Maybe technology can help us out with this one. But until then we can stop using so much plastic. Try a reusable glass water bottle, or bring a cloth bag with you to the grocery store instead of plastic bags. Love Bottle makes glass water bottles with some really neat designs. And most grocery stores sell reusable bags for less than a dollar, or get a customized bag at Custom Grocery Bags, made from Eco-friendly materials. It’s easy to do your part, start a trend. A little goes a long way.