Introduction
In today's world, with the increasing pollution all around the globe, polluting the ocean has a significant impact on the life of human beings. Since food from the ocean is one of the primary foods for the human population and over 70 percent of the planet is covered by water, its impact on health is felt daily. Recent scientific studies have found that the effects of ocean pollution on humans are significant and deteriorating, requiring immediate attention to be rectified.
The research study's principal investigator, Mr. Philip Landrigan, MD, director of Boston University's global observatory on Pollution and Health, stated that the ocean's pollution has become incredibly widespread, is getting worse every day, and is out of control. This directly impacts human harmony, health, and the ecosystem and has produced a complex mixture of toxins that should have received priority attention.
What Are the Agents Polluting the Ocean?
Ocean pollution and its effects on humans have proven to be very directly proportional as it is a very complex process. The ocean, in the first place, was polluted by the human race from the beginning, and from time to time, the effects of the damage they did are being reaped by themselves. However, this does not stop the ocean from getting polluted and humongous, as many toxins are dumped daily. This awareness has reached people, and various self-benefit groups are coming up to clean the ocean. Community education is being made consistently to stop ocean pollution and reestablish ocean health for the welfare of the human population. Some of the factors that pollute the ocean are:
- Plastic Wastes: Ocean pollution with plastic waste is one of the most rapidly increasing pollution visually evident. The water and the plastic bottles dumped in the ocean take millions of years to disintegrate, and on average, ten metric million pieces of plastic are still being dumped into the ocean. These plastic sources, which are dumped, disintegrate into small micro or nanoparticles, which get consumed by the organisms living in the ocean, which in turn is consumed by humans.
- Oil Spills: due to the increased demand for petroleum, oil transport has been continuously in demand, thus increasing more oil spills polluting the ocean. Petroleum products affect the natural flora of the ocean, reducing photosynthesis and the ability of microorganisms to produce oxygen. This leads to the destruction of food sources from the ocean, like fish, and destroys the coral reefs.
- Mercury: mercury pollution in the ocean is a serious complication and can have life-threatening effects on humans. The mercury discharge from industrial wastes gets mixed into the ocean, which is absorbed by every living being in the ocean system.
- Chemical Wastes: Chemical spills manufactured and transported again tend to impact underwater living organisms' lives and can slowly become poisonous.
- Pesticides: Pesticides are specifically targeted to kill microorganisms in fields and farms, which, when spilled or mixed in the ocean, cause potentially possible effects.
- Sewage Dumping: Dumping sewage wastes into the ocean kills a magnitude of marine habitats, degrades life quality, and threatens the ecosystem.
What Are the Health Effects Seen in Humans Due to Ocean Pollution?
The effect of factors polluting the ocean shows a drastic decline in human health. Ocean pollution is known to cause multiple system disorders that include almost all body systems. Consumption of fish loaded with mercury content and the frequency of consumption show deteriorating health in humans. The side effects seen in the human body are:
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Effect on the Cardiovascular System: Impact on heart health leading to carotid artery arrhythmias (irregularity in the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat), stenosis, hypertension (increased blood pressure), and heart failures (inability of the heart to pump enough oxygen-rich blood).
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Effects on Growth and Development: Ingestion of polluted seafood and products from the intrauterine life have proven to affect kids' growth and development, resulting in developmental disturbances.
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Effects on the Gastrointestinal System: Indigestion to the stomach and colon cancer have become increasingly evident today.
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Reproduction: Prolonged ingestion of sea foods polluted with chemicals affects the human fertility rate, evident in both male and female populations.
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Effects on Hormones: Long-term intake of harmful chemicals tend to sediment in the body affecting all the glands and changing their coding patterns. These prolonged changes produce an evident hormonal imbalance in people.
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Effects on Brain: Affects the brain resulting in conditions like dementia and forgetfulness due to ingesting chemically contaminated food with higher mercury levels.
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Effects on Skin and Lungs: Skin and respiratory disorders are seen in people in coastal areas due to prolonged exposure to potential pathogens causing skin rashes, eczema, breathing trouble, etc.
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Climatic Changes: Ocean pollution also significantly contributes to the change in climatic conditions, which in turn shows a more significant impact on the daily life of humans. People have hot flashes, syncope, and skin cancers due to UV (ultraviolet) exposure.
In addition, it also serves as a cause of various cancers and drug resistance.
How Can It Be Fixed?
Mindful handling of the situation is required to fix ocean pollution. Although it is not a one-day process, mind-full handling of the ocean, awareness of potential toxins, and thoughtfulness in restoring the coral reefs should be considered essential measures. Some of the policies that can be done to resolve ocean pollution are:
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Banning single-use plastics and mindful usage of plastic items.
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Improvising waste management systems.
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Transporting fuels on vast scales.
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A Mercury ban should be established.
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Controlling waste discharge, both industrial and biomedical wastes.
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Compulsory testing of seafood for toxicity.
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Controlling chemical wastage.
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Monitoring mercury levels and keeping them in check.
Conclusion
Ocean pollution affecting human health is increasing, resulting in several clinical scenarios. From feeling nauseous to cancer, it has become a potential threat to affect almost all human systems and affects babies' growth and development from the womb. Hence, managing ocean pollution and limiting its effect on handling human health disabilities are most important. Also, it is vital as a community to prevent the further occurrence of ocean pollution as much as possible for the future generation’s growth, development, health, and living.
