Module 5 Unit 1

Hello, everybody. I’d like to thank you all for giving your time to come here today and listen to me. Today I’m going to talk about litter and debris in our waterways.

Apart from less visible forms of aquatic pollution, such as pesticides, gasoline, oil, toxic chemicals and sewage there is aquatic litter and debris. This is any manufactured or processed solid waste that enters the aquatic environment from any source. In short, it is our misplaced waste and trash. It is a highly pervasive and visible form of pollution that does a lot of harm to wildlife and human health.

It should be noted that in most towns and cities, storm drains flow directly to streams and rivers. Litter on sidewalks and streets and in gutters is swept into the storm drain system when it rains. Also a lot of litter comes from recreational activities and fast food consumption. This category includes trash from fast-food restaurants that is littered by people in cars, or is left behind after a picnic. Some other items include bags, balloons, beverage containers, clothing, and toys. Another category includes cigarette butts, cigar tips, lighters, and the wrappers on cigarette packs. There is also illegal dumping that includes household waste, refrigerators and other appliances, building and construction waste, tires and sometimes entire cars. The trouble is that most of litter and household waste are made of plastic. Plastic is widely used due to its lightweight, strength, durability, versatility, and low cost. However, plastic can take hundreds of years to break down. One study found that almost 90 percent of the debris floating on our oceans is plastic.

So, it is obvious that any trash that is improperly disposed of can potentially enter a waterway and have negative impacts on aquatic animals, plants, and humans. For example, some debris can cause physical damage such as entanglement and ingestion. Each year, more than 100,000 marine mammals die when they ingest debris or become entangled in ropes, fishing line, fishing nets, and other debris dumped into the ocean. Seals very often become entangled because they are by nature curious and will investigate unusual items in their environment. When animals get entangled they have trouble eating, breathing, finding food, escaping predators, or swimming, all of which can have fatal results. Entanglement can also cause wounds that can become infected.

Besides, sea turtles, birds, fish, and mammals often mistake plastic items for food. For instance, sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods. With plastic filling their stomachs, animals have a false feeling of being full, and may die of starvation.

Debris can contaminate water by adding chemicals to it. Construction waste illegally dumped in a stream can include buckets that once held paints, solvents, and other chemicals that can enter the water

In conclusion, I’d like to say that decisions we make can lead to pollution, or to a cleaner environment. One solution to the aquatic debris problem is cleaning up the trash using paid employees and volunteers. Without a doubt, participating in a cleanup activity, gathering data about the debris found, and analyzing the data can help to preserve water quality, beauty, and wildlife. That’s food for thought, isn’t it?

Well, thank you very much for coming and giving attention to the problem of preserving our water recourses and for showing so much interest in participating in the cleanup activity next week. That’s all now.

(Adapted from the Internet sites)