1. Give (4) main sources of plastic pollution entering the marine environment.

a) Municipal sources: which includes residential, markets, commercial

establishments, hotels, hospitals etc.,
b) Distribution & Industrial sources: which include food & chemical industries,
packaging films etc.,
c) Fishing tools
d) construction debris
e) As far as plastic entering the ocean, about 20% of the trash comes from ships and
platforms that are offshore. The rest sources from litter being blown into the sea,
picked up by tides on the beach, or intentional garbage dumping. 
or
a) Food Wrappers & Containers (31.14% of pollution in environment, by unit count)
b) Bottle & Container Caps (15.5%)
c) Plastic Bags (11.18%)
d) Straws and Stirrers (8.13%)

2. Give four (4) impacts of plastic pollution on marine environments.

a) Starvation of species due to the ingestion of large amounts of plastic;
b) Entanglement and injury from plastic rubbish;
c) Plastic particles accumulate toxic chemicals, including DDT and PCBs, and
concentrate these chemicals to a level as much as one million times the levels
found in surrounding seawater. When animals then consume these toxic plastics,
it can be fatal. Indirect impacts across the food chain as a result of bio
magnification of plastic related pollution via the ingestion of plastic contaminated
species.
d) Corals that come into contact with plastics have a greater risk of contracting
diseases than those that do not.11
e) Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags and other flimsy materials for jellyfish.
They consume the waste only to have it trapped in their bodies for years. 
f) What makes the plastic problem in fish so relevant to us is the fact that humans
consume them. When we eat fish that have been affected by plastic, the toxic
material makes its way back into our food chain. A number of studies suggest that
the fish humans continue to consume have at one time or another ingested plastic
microfibers, including brown trout, cisco, and perch.
g) scientists found plastic fibers in corals in the Atlantic Ocean—and more
concerning, they found that the corals readily ate plastic over food.
3. Give two (2) marine locations where plastic pollution has been in the local or
international news within the last five years.
a. In 2019, the marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd said it plastic
pollution washing up in large quantities on a remote Australian beach.
b. In 2018, theecoloblue blog reported The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located in
the North Pacific Gyre off the coast of California and is the largest ocean garbage
site in the world. This floating mass of plastic is twice the size of Texas, with
plastic pieces outnumbering sea life six to one.
c. In 2021, Researchers have found stunningly high amounts of tiny plastic pieces in
all five Great Lakes, which provide drinking water for 40 million people. They
have found microscopic pieces of plastic in drinking water, and even beer.
d. In 2018, solgaard reported that Haina Beach in the Dominican Republic was one of
the Worst Beaches in The World for Plastic Pollution
4. Give two (2) economic and (2) biological effects on humans of plastic pollution in
marine and coastal environments.
Economic:
  Plastic pollution can also have severe adverse effects on tourism. Since people usually
like clean beaches where they can recharge and relax from their demanding jobs, they
are likely stop visiting countries which are polluted too much. Thus, plastic
contamination can lead tourists to switch to other countries for vacation purposes. This
behavior will significantly harm the local economy of countries that rely on tourism as
their most important income source. 
 Since many locals still rely on fishing as main income source, the pollution of the sea
with plastic can harm them significantly since areas with a high level of pollution are
likely to become less frequented by fishes and so the amount of fishes caught by locals is
likely to decrease. Therefore, locals lose money.
 Since we have to get rid of the enormous amounts of plastic somehow, we have to spend
a lot of money on combustion and also on cleanup actions. The air pollution and the
resulting contribution to global warming as well as the implied negative effects will also
be quite costly in future periods.
 Due to human products that are thrown away every day, some do end up floating in the
ocean such as plastic waste. The ones that float are always cleaned up in order to protect
the marine creatures. Moreover, they are too toxic for the sea water. It is estimated that
the cost spent for the clean up is very high. Coastal region definitely lose money from all
the waste that we produce. 
 Industries that rely on renting ships or yachts will also feel the negative effect from the
ocean pollution. They lose a lot of money too. Since there are too many litters in the
ocean, they have to frequently clean up the motor or valve damage from tangled waste.
Sometimes, trash do get caught up in their shipping equipment.
 People depend on so much resources from the ocean. But as the ocean health is damaged
by all the waste, resources are harder to find. That will cause an increase in the prices of
the resources. People will definitely feel the impact of the higher price but it’s a cost that
they still have to pay.

Biological effects on humans:

 Various chemical additives are being employed during the production of plastic and
related products. These synthetic elements are carcinogenic and can pose serious health
complications in humans. Significant levels of BPA (Bisphenol A) and Phthalate
additives have been detected in the human population. These compounds can invade an
individual’s system through nose, skin, or mouth. BPA is used to make various everyday
items such as dinnerware, plastic drink containers, food cans, toys, and lots more. This
substance can disrupt the function of endocrine glands and consequently cause serious
health condition known as hypothyroidism.

 Inoduction of hazardous substances into marine food chains, as plastics can transfer
toxins to the animals that eat them, potentially concentrating and passing these toxins up
the food chain from prey to predator

 This is an issue many people in the Global North struggle to relate to, but it poses a huge
health hazard to people living in the Global South. Where there is poor waste
management, people often have no choice but to burn their trash in the open air. This is a
very common practice that allows chemicals from plastic to easily enter the body as we
breathe normally. A report published in March 2018 shows that 5 billion people globally
live without waste collection or controlled waste disposal. Roughly 9 million people die
each year as a result

 Every piece of plastic ever produced still exists today, and two thirds of it has been
released back into the environment, whether it’s broken down into microplastics in the
ocean, in a garbage pile, or deep within our agricultural soil. Plastic makes its way to
 your plate in sneaky ways with some studies concluding that we ingest thousands of
plastic particles each year. 

 There are different types of ways that plastic is dangerous for humans. Direct toxicity
from plastics comes from lead, cadmium, and mercury. These toxins have also been
found in many fish in the ocean, which is very dangerous for humans. Diethylhexyl
phthalate (DEHP) contained in some plastics, is a toxic carcinogen. Other toxins in
plastics are directly linked to cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and
childhood developmental issues. 
5. Give two (2) ways plastic pollution in marine environments can be cleaned up.

 Recover and recycle the materials we use in both formal and informal sectors by
implementing extended producer responsibility laws, providing incentives for waste
segregation and recycling

 Stopping plastics at the source -Taking plastic out of Earth’s oceans doesn’t solve the
problem completely. We also need to stop the plastic and garbage from getting there in
the first place, and keep our oceans clean. The reason so much trash ends up in the oceans
is often because of inadequate waste management systems worldwide. 

 Implement manual cleans up using huge trawls or nets

5. Give two (2) alternatives to plastic.
 Glass - Once upon a time, both moms and milkmen filled glass bottles with milk.
Now look around your kitchen and you'll probably see many plastics — water
bottles, soda bottles, food storage containers. Times have changed.
 Grape waste – can be used to make leather
 Liquid wool - Next up is a promising bioplastic, or biopolymer, called liquid
wood. Biopolymers fake it; these materials look, feel and act just like plastic but,
unlike petroleum-based plastic, they're biodegradable. This particular biopolymer
comes from pulp-based lignin, a renewable resource.