When talking about pollution in our oceans, most people do not realize the extent of the problems that can come from it. You may think that the can of soda you dropped on your fishing trip will sink to the bottom and just cease to exist after a few years, covered by the ocean floor. In ways, this concept is true, but it doesn’t always work out that way. A can really cannot hurt the animals that live in the ocean. There are people who say if you cut a can in half, it will rust and therefore, it is safe to toss in the ocean. Here’s the problem and how it affects animals in our oceans and ourselves.
Cans, Cans, Everywhere
Soda cans have a coating on them that ensures they will not rust quickly on a store shelf or after you purchase them. This coating can protect them for years at a time. The protective coating contains plastic in some cases. It is Vinylite according to some. Even if you scuff it, the aluminum will oxidize fairly quickly after being exposed to saltwater, which protects the can from rust as well.
To prevent oxidation, the can would have to be scrubbed against the sandy floor daily. Typically, there is less movement on the floor of our ocean so it could be better if it did float a little closer to the beaches where waves and tides could keep scrubbing it. However, long before the can is destroyed by the elements, there is a risk that it will start to break down. As it gets closer to beaches, buries in the sand slightly, someone comes along and may step on it. A day of fun turns very painful and a trip to the local ER could be required. Its rusty metal which causes many problems.
Cleaning the Ocean?
It would be hard to clean an entire ocean. Consider the Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean. To date, only two people have been in the deepest areas of it. In 1960, it was Don Walsh who reached 35,814 feet deep. In 2019, Victor Vescovo descended 35,853 feet. Once there, he found “colorful rocky structures, weird critters, and plastic.” Can you see the problem with this?
Cleaning our oceans would be virtually impossible. Plastic never completely goes away. It is littering the deepest part of our oceans. The only thing we can do is stop putting it into our water!