Question

Give geographical reasons:

The disposal of waste materials in the oceans by man is harmful to the environment.

Answer 1

Various types of materials get deposited on marine beds. Materials like pebbles, clay, volcanic ash, etc. get deposited by natural processes. However, some man-made wastes, like microplastics, sewage, solid waste, and radioactive material, also get deposited on a large scale. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the central north Pacific Ocean is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world. The disposal of these wastes in oceans can be harmful to the environment. For instance, marine animals often mistake microplastics as food because of their small size. These plastics contain toxic chemicals and consumption of these can cause disease and affect reproduction.