How do plastic water bottles affect marine life?

Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey; most then die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic. They also suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim, and internal injuries.

What are the effects of plastic bottle pollution?

Each bottle leaks harmful chemicals into our environment along the way as it decomposes. Studies show that the toxins decomposing bottles of water leach into our environment cause a variety of health issues, including reproductive problems and cancer.

How does bottled water affect the ocean?

However, in areas across the globe with poor waste management or a lack of properly sealed landfills, as a bottle breaks down into microplastic particles over time, some particles may seep into the soil and eventually make their way into our waterways, ultimately entering and polluting the ocean.

What are the disadvantages of plastic bottles?

The Primary Dangers of Plastic Bottled Water

  • Your Bottled Water Probably Doesn’t Come From Where You Think it Does.
  • It May Not Even be Filtered.
  • Bottled Water Often Contains Toxins From The Plastic.
  • Drinking Bottled Water Can Cause Development and Fertility Issues.
  • It Also Correlates to Higher Rates of Disease in Adults.

How do plastic water bottles affect animals?

Plastics pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife. Thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed each year after ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it.

What are the negative effects of bottled water?

Contaminated bottled water can harm your health, including causing gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems may be more likely to get sick from some contaminants.

What are 2 negatives of bottled water?

Disadvantages of Bottled Water

  • Bottled water can be expensive.
  • Plenty of unnecessary waste production.
  • Bottled water is mainly sold in plastic packaging.
  • Bottled water has to be carried over quite long distances.
  • Air pollution.
  • Particle pollution.
  • Global warming.
  • Tap water is pretty good in many regions.

How plastic pollution is killing animals?

Sea animals often eat microplastics because of their small size. And plastic contains toxic chemicals, which can increase the chance of disease and affect reproduction. After ingesting microplastics, seals, and other animals, may suffer for months or years before they die.

How many fish are killed by plastic?

We find about 100,000 marine animals killed by ocean plastic ingestion or entanglement each year, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are likely far more lying at the bottom of the ocean, who, once decomposed, will release the plastic for other animals to encounter.

How many plastic bottles are in the ocean?

How many plastic bottles are in the ocean? The number of plastic bottles in the sea is unknown, but over 250 billion were not recycled. Around 8-9 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year. That’s the equivalent of a garbage truck emptying plastic into the ocean every single minute.