Dead Fish Stomachs Opened... "The Entire Ocean is Covered in Plastic" [News Terms]

171 Trillion Plastic Particles Floating on the Sea 'Plastic Smog'
Negative Effects on Infants' and Toddlers' Behavioral and Cognitive Development
MFDS "Adults Ingest 3.6 Microplastics Daily"

‘Plastic smog’ refers to marine pollution caused by microplastic particles flowing into the ocean. The term is a metaphor derived from ‘smog,’ a phenomenon where the sky appears hazy due to air pollutants. It describes how plastic waste that has flowed into the ocean breaks down into smaller pieces over time and gradually covers the ocean surface to the seabed like smog.

Large Amounts of Microplastic Fragments Found in Dead Fish [Photo by The 5 Gyres Institute, YouTube Screenshot]

Dr. Marcus Eriksen, founder of the U.S. nonprofit organization 'Five Gyres Institute,' coined the term ‘plastic smog.’ He published an article titled ‘The Age of Plastic Smog’ in the summer 2015 issue of the American magazine ‘The Explorers Journal.’ Based on his direct exploration and investigation of the ocean, he highlighted the severity of marine plastic pollution.

According to the article, Dr. Eriksen estimated through voyages in the Mediterranean and around Australia that “there are approximately 525 billion plastic particles and 269,000 tons of plastic pollution drifting in the ocean”. He also explained that “these particles collectively form a ‘smog of microplastics’ filled with various concentrations of toxins throughout the entire marine ecosystem.” Microplastics refer to plastic fragments smaller than 5mm. In a research paper published last year in the international scientific journal ‘PLOS ONE,’ he estimated that “as of 2019, 171 trillion plastic particles weighing 2.3 million tons are floating in the world’s oceans,” emphasizing the urgent need for solutions to the increasing plastic smog.

A large amount of plastic waste is discarded on the coastline.
[Photo source=The 5 Gyres Institute YouTube screenshot]

According to the ‘Global Plastics Outlook’ released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2022, the global plastic recycling rate was only 9%. Nineteen percent was incinerated, and 50% was buried in sanitary landfills. The remaining 22% was dumped in unmanaged waste disposal sites. Such plastic waste flows into rivers and oceans through rain, wind, and drainage systems. Marine animals mistake these fragmented plastic particles for food and ingest them, causing harm. In one case, 17 pieces of plastic were found in the stomach of a dead fish.

Plastic particles and pollutants that enter the food chain ultimately end up being consumed by humans. A 2020 report by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea revealed that adults ingest an average of 3.6 microplastic particles per day, totaling 1,312 particles annually through seafood consumption. In 2019, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the world’s largest private nature conservation organization, estimated that the amount of microplastics ingested per person is equivalent to one credit card per week.

Microplastics that enter the human body have adverse effects throughout the body. Last month, a joint research team from the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul National University, and Chung-Ang University published findings that microplastics can damage the inner ear, causing hearing loss and impaired balance. Additionally, they negatively affect the health of pregnant women and children. Researchers at Marche Polytechnic University in Italy, based on an analysis of breast milk from 34 mothers, stated that “infants and young children may suffer adverse effects such as behavioral and cognitive developmental delays due to chemical substances adsorbed onto microplastics.”