Marine Pollution and the Global Health Crisis

By Carolina Vicente Cesetti

PhD candidate in Law at the University of Brasília and member of the Research Group of Law, Natural Resources and Sustainability Studies in the University of Brasilia (Portuguese acronym: GERN).

 

After 2020, there is a lot of thinking about how to prevent a future pandemic and how to avoid a global health crisis. After living for more than a year at home and in fear of this unpredictable disease, the intentions of the world are to predict and study all possibilities of another global health crisis. In this quest to understand the possible origins of a new disease, it is possible to connect marine pollution with human health, which is already directly and indirectly affected by diseases that can originate from the waste dumped in the marine environment.

 

In an important study[1] published in December 2020 by Boston College in the Global Health annals, it was possible to understand a little bit more about the extent of the danger that ocean pollution can cause to human health. These dangers have been analyzed in addition to those posed by plastics which are more popularly known, or rather, which are becoming less and less popular due to increased awareness of their exacerbated use.

 

Ocean pollution is a global and poorly controlled problem. The article notes that more than 80% of marine waste originates from terrestrial sources, reaching the ocean through rivers, runoff, deposition of the atmosphere and direct dumping. The ocean suffers from a poisonous mixture originating from human waste, such as toxic metals, plastics, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, municipal and industrial waste, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural runoff and sewage[2].

 

Each element of this toxic mixture of garbage can cause a different negative effect on human health and has the potential to spread throughout the world, not least because the pollution in the ocean knows no borders. In the didactic and interesting image[3] taken by the Boston College study, it is possible to understand even better the levels and layers of each type of this poisonous mixture that we daily pour into the oceans. Regarding the polluting elements that have a direct effect on human health mentioned in the study, the ones which deserve greater emphasis are plastic garbage, mercury, oil spills, industrial residue, agricultural runoff, sewage discharge and warming of the oceans.

 

Still on the image mentioned above, it was made in a triangle shape and the tip of the pollution iceberg would be plastic waste. Although it is the most memorable in our minds when we think of the ocean, plastic waste is still only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to human health. It is the type of garbage most remembered, because in addition to awareness campaigns, it is the most visible component of ocean pollution.

 

Most of 10 million tons of plastic that enter in the oceans waters every year decompose into micro plastic particles. This micro plastic can be in deep or floating areas when there is a massive concentration that is called a “garbage patch” as it occurs in the Pacific Ocean. These particles enter the food chain of fish and crustaceans and it is already known that most people already have micro plastics in their bodies. The micro plastics have several components of substances that are very resistant, these can interfere with hormones and can cause cancer, birth defects and reduced fertility[4].

 

Regarding other chemical sources of waste that can be extremely harmful to human health, it is possible to highlight the mercury originated from burning coal from industries or homes. Predatory fish that are also consumed by humans consume mercury. Mercury exposure can cause heart disease and dementia; in pregnant women it is even more serious and can damage brain development and increase the risk of diseases involving learning disorders[5].

 

Regarding the origins of marine pollution, some of the most damaging are oil pollutants from oil spills. The spill threatens marine microorganisms and affects their ability to photosynthesize. Other factors that stimulate the proliferation of harmful algae are industrial waste, pesticides, agricultural runoff and sewage discharge. These algae can trigger red, brown and green tides. When ingested, these toxins can cause dementia, amnesia, paralysis and even rapid death. When inhaled, they can cause asthma. Finally, the study highlighted dangerous microorganisms resulting from coastal pollution and warming of the oceans, such as the species of harmful bacteria called vibriosis. This bacterium can cause potentially fatal illnesses, as they cause diseases such as cholera, originating from vibrio cholerae.

 

The most impactful points of the study were addressed and demonstrate the undeniable relationship between the health of the oceans and human health. The ocean must be taken into account in the analysis of the global health crisis that we are currently experiencing.

 

The study offers some clear recommendations for preventing and controlling ocean pollution, including the transition to cleaner energy, the development of affordable alternatives to plastics based on fossil fuels, the reduction of human, agricultural and industrial discharges and the expansion of areas protected marine areas. Recognizing the seriousness of the rise of pollution the oceans is the duty of political representatives, enterprises and civil society in the elaboration of public policies that become essential to prevent this kind of pollution and to protect our own health.

[1] LANDRIGAN, Philipe and others. Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Annals of Global Health. Boston College. Published on 03 Dec 2020. Available at: https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/article/10.5334/aogh.2831/ Acessed 13 mai. 2021.

[2] LANDRIGAN, Philipe and others. Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Annals of Global Health. Boston College. Published on 03 Dec 2020. Available at: https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/article/10.5334/aogh.2831/ Acessed 13 mai. 2021.

[3] Available at: https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/article/10.5334/aogh.2831/agh-86-1-2831-g1.png/?action=download Acessed 13 mai. 2021.

[4] LANDRIGAN, Philipe and others. Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Annals of Global Health. Boston College. Published on 03 Dec 2020. Available at: https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/article/10.5334/aogh.2831/ Acessed 13 mai. 2021.

[5] LANDRIGAN, Philipe and others. Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Annals of Global Health. Boston College. Published on 03 Dec 2020. Available at: https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/article/10.5334/aogh.2831/ Acessed 13 mai. 2021.