The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
- POSTED ON: 6 Apr, 2018
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- POSTED BY: Young World Club
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world and is located between Hawaii and California.
There are a total of five plastic accumulation zones in the world’s oceans, of which the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest.
How big is the GPGP?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an area that is three times the size of France.
How much plastic is in the GPGP?
A total of 1.8 trillion plastic pieces are estimated to be floating in the patch – equivalent to 250 pieces for every human in the world.
Where does all the plastic come from?
Millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year from rivers. As more and more plastics are discarded into the environment, the concentration of microplastics in the GPGP will keep increasing.
How does it affect life?
Due to the size and colour of plastic, animals confuse it for food – threatening their overall existence. Plastic is toxic to some marine animals. Animals get entangled in fishing nets, resulting in their death. Plastic also makes its way up into the food chain, that includes humans.
Source: theoceancleanup.com