worldwide in the marine environment. It has been estimated through a number of
studies that approximately 5 trillion plastic debris (over 250,000 tons) stay afloat on
the seas (Barboza et al. 2018). United Nations department for the environment
estimates that approximately 800 species are affected by ocean debris globally and
nearly 75–80% of which is plastic or products derived from plastics. It is measured
and evaluated that almost 67% of marine plastic is coming from land-based sources
while the remaining comes from ocean-based sources (Karbalaei et al. 2018). It is
calculated that nearly 13 million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean every year.
Seabirds, fish, sea turtles, and sea mammals can ingest plastic debris, which ultimately results in suffocation, starvation, and drowning of these marine creatures.
Scientists have estimated that nearly 60% of all the seabird species have eaten
fragments of plastics at some point in their life. The point of concern here is a
study that foresees this figure to increase to 99% by 2050 (Sharma and Chatterjee
2017).
Different states around the globe are taking strict measures to diminish the
adverse impacts caused by plastic pollution. For this purpose, governments have
banned single use of plastics, shifting petroleum-based plastics to alternative
bio-benign products such as glass, paper, or biodegradable plastics and enhance
waste collection systems to confirm that all waste is properly collected and recycled
or carefully disposed of. The United Nation’s environmental program gives guidance on actions that the private, public sector entities, and governments can take to
minimize the use of single-use plastics and production (Godfrey 2019). These
guidelines and directions include;
(i) Improvement of the waste management systems.
(ii) Voluntary decline strategies and agreements.
(iii) Public pressure and social awareness.
(iv) Promotion of eco-friendly replacements.
According to the Ocean Unite website, approximately 8 million tons of plastics
enter into the ocean every year, and at this rate, we will see more plastics in the ocean
as compared to fish by 2050. The global production rate of plastics has been
continuously increasing for the last five decades at a speed far more than estimated.
In spite of the recent economic crisis, the amount of plastic waste is rising year by
years. Nearly 4.8–12.7 million metric tons of plastics that entered into the oceans
comes from land-based sources in 2010 alone (Geyer et al. 2017). It is estimated that
about 4–5% of the global annual production of petroleum is converted into plastics,
whereas the same amount of energy resources i.e. petroleum, electricity is used for
the production of these plastics. The worldwide production of plastics is now about
320 billion tons per year. Pollution can be a result of either point source or nonpoint
source when pollution originates from a single source, it is called point source
pollution. For example, wastewater (also called effluent) is released legally or
illegally by a manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment plants. Point
sources of pollution include wastewater effluent (both industrial or municipal) and
storm sewer release that affect mostly the zone nearby it (Sigler 2014). While point
source pollution initiates from a specific place, it can affect miles of waterways and
92
F. Muneer et al.
studies that approximately 5 trillion plastic debris (over 250,000 tons) stay afloat on
the seas (Barboza et al. 2018). United Nations department for the environment
estimates that approximately 800 species are affected by ocean debris globally and
nearly 75–80% of which is plastic or products derived from plastics. It is measured
and evaluated that almost 67% of marine plastic is coming from land-based sources
while the remaining comes from ocean-based sources (Karbalaei et al. 2018). It is
calculated that nearly 13 million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean every year.
Seabirds, fish, sea turtles, and sea mammals can ingest plastic debris, which ultimately results in suffocation, starvation, and drowning of these marine creatures.
Scientists have estimated that nearly 60% of all the seabird species have eaten
fragments of plastics at some point in their life. The point of concern here is a
study that foresees this figure to increase to 99% by 2050 (Sharma and Chatterjee
2017).
Different states around the globe are taking strict measures to diminish the
adverse impacts caused by plastic pollution. For this purpose, governments have
banned single use of plastics, shifting petroleum-based plastics to alternative
bio-benign products such as glass, paper, or biodegradable plastics and enhance
waste collection systems to confirm that all waste is properly collected and recycled
or carefully disposed of. The United Nation’s environmental program gives guidance on actions that the private, public sector entities, and governments can take to
minimize the use of single-use plastics and production (Godfrey 2019). These
guidelines and directions include;
(i) Improvement of the waste management systems.
(ii) Voluntary decline strategies and agreements.
(iii) Public pressure and social awareness.
(iv) Promotion of eco-friendly replacements.
According to the Ocean Unite website, approximately 8 million tons of plastics
enter into the ocean every year, and at this rate, we will see more plastics in the ocean
as compared to fish by 2050. The global production rate of plastics has been
continuously increasing for the last five decades at a speed far more than estimated.
In spite of the recent economic crisis, the amount of plastic waste is rising year by
years. Nearly 4.8–12.7 million metric tons of plastics that entered into the oceans
comes from land-based sources in 2010 alone (Geyer et al. 2017). It is estimated that
about 4–5% of the global annual production of petroleum is converted into plastics,
whereas the same amount of energy resources i.e. petroleum, electricity is used for
the production of these plastics. The worldwide production of plastics is now about
320 billion tons per year. Pollution can be a result of either point source or nonpoint
source when pollution originates from a single source, it is called point source
pollution. For example, wastewater (also called effluent) is released legally or
illegally by a manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment plants. Point
sources of pollution include wastewater effluent (both industrial or municipal) and
storm sewer release that affect mostly the zone nearby it (Sigler 2014). While point
source pollution initiates from a specific place, it can affect miles of waterways and
92
F. Muneer et al.