Abstract
Plastic pollution is a widespread problem across the world’s oceans, bays, estuaries and rivers. Much of this waste is the residue of food system packaging. Excessive production of these durable polymers and inappropriate disposal lead to their accumulation in aquatic environments. Large pieces of plastic debris are a regular feature of shorelines in the Chesapeake Bay, as is true around the world. Over time such plastic debris may be partially degraded, primarily by UV light and abrasion, and fragmented. In fact, a majority of plastic debris falls into the category of microplastics, i.e. debris smaller than 5 mm. The abundance of microplastics in the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay has been linked to the population density of the surrounding area. Importantly, both large plastic debris items and microplastics threaten marine organisms through ingestion or entanglement. Another threat may accompany the plastic; the surface of the debris may carry sorbed chemical contaminants or pathogens that harm aquatic life. Some plastic polymers also contain chemical additives. These additives may be toxic to aquatic organisms and concentrate at higher trophic levels of the food chain. These phenomena are still being explored by researchers. At present, there is inadequate research detailing the distribution of plastics in the Chesapeake Bay. We explore here the plastic pollution issue, how it may impact the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and possible solutions, with particular attention to food system packaging.
Once it was corn in the husk, a walnut in a shell, a glass of water from the tap
Now it’s all processed and packaged in plastic, leaving eternal trash all over the map.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Chemical Association (1993) “The Bakelizer”. Commemorative booklet produced by the National Historic Chemical Landmarks program of the American Chemical Society, 6 p. https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakelite/the-bakelizer-commemorative-booklet.pdf. Accessed 12 Mar 2019
Barnes D, Morley S, Bell J et al (2018) Marine plastics threaten giant Atlantic marine protected areas. Curr Biol 28(19):R1137–R1138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.064
Baulch S, Perry C (2014) Evaluating the impacts of marine debris on cetaceans. Mar Pollut Bull 80:210–221
Bilkovic D, Slacum H Jr, Havens K et al (2016) Ecological and economic effects of derelict fishing gear in the Chesapeake Bay 2015/2016 final assessment report, 45 p. https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/publications-files/DFG_Effects_Chesapeake_Bay_Final_Report_2016.pdf
Bosque T (2011) 15 Outrageous facts about the bottled water industry. In: Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/facts-bottled-water-industry-2011-10. Accessed 8 Apr 2019
Botterell Z, Beaumont N, Dorrington T et al (2019) Bioavailability and effects of microplastics on marine zooplankton: a review. Environ Pollut 245:98–110
BottleBill (2019) BottleBill.org—litter studies in bottle bill states. In: Bottlebill.org. http://www.bottlebill.org/about/benefits/litter/bbstates.htm. Accessed 8 Apr 2019
Bradley M, Sukumaran S, Lowry S et al (2017) Tracking microplastics in the environment via FT-IR microscopy. Spectroscopy 32(8):17–23
Brodhagen M, Goldberger J, Hayes D et al (2017) Policy considerations for limiting unintended residual plastic in agricultural soils. Environ Sci Pol 69:81–84
Brooks A, Wang S, Jambeck J (2018) The Chinese import ban and its impact on global plastic waste trade. Sci Adv 4(6). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat0131
Browne M, Niven S, Galloway T et al (2013) Microplastic moves pollutants and additives to worms, reducing functions linked to health and biodiversity. Curr Biol 23(23):2388–2392
Carson H, Colbert S, Kaylor M et al (2011) Small plastic debris changes water movement and heat transfer through beach sediments. Mar Pollut Bull 62:1708–1713
Cózar A, Echevarría F, González-Gordillo J et al (2014) Plastic debris in the open ocean. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111(28):10239–10244
Cózar A, Marti E, Duarte C et al (2017) The Arctic Ocean as a dead end for floating plastics in the North Atlantic branch of the thermohaline circulation. Sci Adv 3(4):e1600582. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600582
De Falco F, Gullo M, Gennaro G et al (2018) Evaluation of microplastic release caused by textile washing processes of synthetic fabrics. Environ Pollut 236:916–925
Dietrich A, Gallagher D (2002) Fate and environmental impact of pesticides in plastic mulch production runoff: field and laboratory studies. J Agric Food Chem 50(15):4409–4416
Dris R, Gasperi J, Saad M et al (2016) Synthetic fibers in atmospheric fallout: a source of microplastics in the environment? Mar Pollut Bull 104(1–2):290–293
Duncan E, Broderick A, Fuller W et al (2019) Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles. Glob Chang Biol 25(2):744–752
Enders K, Lenz R, Stedmon C et al (2015) Abundance, size and polymer composition of marine microplastics ≥10 μm in the Atlantic Ocean and their modelled vertical distribution. Mar Pollut Bull 100(1):70–81
Felton R (2019) Arsenic in some bottled water brands at unsafe levels, consumer reports says. In: Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/water-quality/arsenic-in-some-bottled-water-brands-at-unsafe-levels/. Accessed 21 Apr 2019
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) website (2016) History and overview of the osborne reef waste tire removal project updated August 8, 2016. https://floridadep.gov/waste/permitting-compliance-assistance/content/osborne-reef-waste-tire-removal-project. Accessed 12 Mar 2019
Friedel R (2014) American bottles: the road to no return. Environ Hist 19:505–527. https://doi.org/10.1093/envhis/emu061
Geyer R, Jambeck J, Law K (2017) Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Sci Adv 3(7):e1700782. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782
Gibbens S (2019) See the complicated landscape of plastic bans in the U.S. In: National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/map-shows-the-complicated-landscape-of-plastic-bans/. Accessed 24 Sept 2019
Gleick P, Cooley H (2009) Energy implications of bottled water. Environ Res Lett 4:014009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/4/1/014009
Gordon J (2017) Cellophane: an early advance in chemistry. In: Barrons.com. https://www.barrons.com/articles/cellophane-an-early-advance-in-chemistry-1501907245. Accessed 6 Apr 2019
Gorelick M, Gould L, Nimmer M et al (2011) Perceptions about water and increased use of bottled water in minority children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 165:928–932 https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.83
Groc I (2015) How a DVD case killed a whale: the number of whales and dolphins harmed by floating marine debris seems to be on the rise. National Geographic. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150107-sea-trash-whales-dolphins-marine-mammals/. Accessed 19 Mar 2019
Guo X, Valle-Levinson A (2007) Tidal effects on estuarine circulation and outflow plume in the Chesapeake Bay. Cont Shelf Res 27(1):20–42
Hahladakis J, Velis C, Weber R et al (2018) An overview of chemical additives present in plastics: migration, release, fate and environmental impact during their use, disposal and recycling. J Hazard Mater 344:179–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.10.014
Hale R, La Guardia M, Harvey E et al (2001) Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants in Virginia freshwater fishes (USA). Environ Sci Technol 35:4585–4591
Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) (2019) SWIFT factsheet. http://swiftva.com/factsheets/. Accessed 15 Mar 2019
Helm R (2019) How plastic cleanup threatens the Ocean’s living islands. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/ocean-cleanup-project-could-destroy-neuston/580693/. Accessed 15 Mar 2019
Hermabessiere L, Dehaut A, Paul-Pont I et al (2017) Occurrence and effects of plastic additives on marine environments and organisms: a review. Chemosphere 182:781–793
Herzke D, Anker-Nilssen T, Nøst T et al (2016) Negligible impact of ingested microplastics on tissue concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in Northern Fulmars off coastal Norway. Environ Sci Technol 50(4):1924–1933
Hoarau L, Ainley L, Jean C et al (2014) Ingestion and defecation of marine debris by loggerhead sea turtles. Caretta caretta, from by-catches in the South-West Indian Ocean. Mar Pollut Bull 84:90–96
Hosler D, Burkett S, Tarkanian M (1999) Prehistoric polymers: rubber processing in ancient Mesoamerica. Science 284:1988–1991
Hu Z, Morton L, Mahler R (2011) Bottled water: United States consumers and their perceptions of water quality. Int J Environ Res Public Health 8:565–578. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8020565
Jambeck J, Andrady A, Geyer R et al (2015) Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science 347:768–771
Jamieson A, Brooks L, Reid W et al (2019) Microplastics and synthetic particles ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine ecosystems on earth. R Soc Open Sci 6(2):180667. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180667
Karg T (2018) Bevindustry.com. https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/91268-2018-state-of-the-beverage-industry-bottled-water-remains-the-no-1-beverage-in-the-united-states? Accessed 8 Apr 2019
Kazmiruk T, Kazmiruk V, Bendell L (2018) Abundance and distribution of microplastics within surface sediments of a key shellfish growing region of Canada. PLoS One 13:e0196005. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196005
Keswani A, Oliver D, Gutierrez T et al (2016) Microbial hitchhikers on marine plastic debris: human exposure risks at bathing waters and beach environments. Mar Environ Res 118:10–19
Kettering C (1946) Biographical memoir of Leo Hendrik Baekeland 1863–1944. National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoirs Vol. XXIV-Eighth Memoir. http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/baekeland-leo-h.pdf
Koelmans A, Mohamed Nor N, Hermsen E et al (2019) Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water: critical review and assessment of data quality. Water Res 155:410–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.02.054
Kole P, Löhr A, Van Belleghem F et al (2017) Wear and tear of tyres: a stealthy source of microplastics in the environment. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(10):1–31
Lamb J, Willis B, Fiorenza E et al (2018) Plastic waste associated with disease on coral reefs. Science 359(6374):460–462
Li H, La Guardia M, Liu H et al (2019) Levels and risks associated with brominated and organophosphate flame retardants in sediments upstream and downstream of the Guiyu, China e-waste recycling zone. Sci Total Environ 646:58–67
Lin T, Teymourian Y, Tursini M (2018) The effect of sugar and processed food imports on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 172 countries. Glob Health 14(35). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-018-0344-y
Lwanga E, Vega J, Quej V et al (2017) Field evidence for transfer of plastic debris along a terrestrial food chain. Nat Sci Rep 7:14071
Lyche J, Gutleb A, Bergman A et al (2009) Reproductive and developmental toxicity of phthalates. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev 12(4):225–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/10937400903094091
McCormick A, Hoellein T, Mason S et al (2014) Microplastic is an abundant and distinct microbial habitat in an urban river. Environ Sci Technol 48(20):11863–11871
McDevitt J, Criddle C, Morse M et al (2017) Addressing the issue of microplastics in the wake of the microbead-free waters act—a new standard can facilitate improved policy. Environ Sci Technol 51(12):6611–6617
McIver S (1990) Florida’s plastic snowbird. South Florida Sun Sentinel. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1990-04-08-9001010983-story.html. Accessed 17 Mar 2019
Miao L, Wang P, Hou J et al (2019) Distinct community structure and microbial functions of biofilms colonizing microplastics. Sci Total Environ 650(2):2395–2402
National Geographic (2019) African elephant. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/african-elephant/. Accessed 18 Sept 2019
NCSL (2019) State beverage container deposit laws. In: Ncsl.org. http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-beverage-container-laws.aspx. Accessed 8 Apr 2019
Nizzetto L, Futter M, Langaas S (2016) Are agricultural soils dumps for microplastics of urban origin? Environ Sci Technol 50:10777–10779
Parker L (2018a) The Great Pacific garbage patch isn’t what you think it is. In: News.nationalgeographic.com. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/great-pacific-garbage-patch-plastics-environment/. Accessed 6 Apr 2019
Parker L (2018b) Sperm whale found dead with 13 pounds of plastic in its stomach. National Geographic Environment: Planet or Plastic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/dead-sperm-whale-filled-with-plastic-trash-indonesia. Accessed 19 Mar 2019
PHS (2019) Celluloid. In: The Plastics Historical Society. http://plastiquarian.com/?page_id=14221. Accessed 6 Apr 2019
Provencher J, Vermaire J, Avery-Gomm S et al (2018) Garbage in guano? Microplastic debris found in faecal precursors of seabirds known to ingest plastics. Sci Total Environ 644:1477–1484
Raju N, Carbery M, Kuttykattil A et al (2018) Transport and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: implications to environmental health. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-018-9480-3
Register K, McKay L, Witmer V (2016) Virginia marine debris reduction plan: summary & look ahead. Prepared for the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, 20 p
Savoca M, Wohlfeil M, Ebeler S et al (2016) Marine plastic debris emits a keystone infochemical for olfactory foraging seabirds. Sci Adv 2(11):1–8
Schreder E, La Guardia M (2014) Flame retardant transfers from U.S. households (dust and laundry wastewater) to the aquatic environment. Environ Sci Technol 48(19):11575–11583
Schymanski D, Goldbeck C, Humpf H et al (2018) Analysis of microplastics in water by micro-Raman spectroscopy: release of plastic particles from different packaging into mineral water. Water Res 129:154–162
Smith M, Love D, Rochman C et al (2018) Microplastics in seafood and the implications for human health. Curr Environ Health Rep 5(3):375–386
Song Y, Hong S, Jang M et al (2015) A comparison of microscopic and spectroscopic identification methods for analysis of microplastics in environmental samples. Mar Pollut Bull 93(1–2):202–209
Statistica (2019) Per capita consumption of bottled water in the U.S., 2017. In: Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183377/per-capita-consumption-of-bottled-water-in-the-us-since-1999/. Accessed 8 Apr 2019
Strand B, Kerr C (2019) 10 Cities and countries confronting plastic bag pollution head-on. In: Earth Day Network. https://www.earthday.org/2018/04/20/10-cities-and-countries-confronting-plastic-bag-pollution-head-on/. Accessed 8 Apr 2019
Sussarellu R, Suquet M, Thomas Y et al (2016) Oyster reproduction is affected by exposure to polystyrene microplastics. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 113(9):2430–2435
The Ocean Cleanup (2019). https://www.theoceancleanup.com/
US EPA (2019) Facts and figures about materials, waste and recycling. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data. Accessed 21 Sept 2019
Van Cauwenberghe L, Janssen C (2014) Microplastics in bivalves cultured for human consumption. Environ Pollut 193:65–70
VIMS (2019) In: Vims.edu. https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/_docs/marine_debris/biodegradablepanel_factsheet.pdf. Accessed 7 Apr 2019
Waller C, Griffith H, Waluda C et al (2017) Review: microplastics in the Antarctic marine system: an emerging area of research. Sci Total Environ 598:220–227
Wardrop P, Shimeta J, Nugegoda D et al (2016) Chemical pollutants sorbed to ingested microbeads from personal care products accumulate in fish. Environ Sci Technol 50:4037–4044. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b06280
Wilcox C, Heathcote G, Goldberg J et al (2015a) Understanding the sources and effects of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear on marine turtles in northern Australia. Conserv Biol 29(1):198–206
Wilcox C, Van Sebille E, Hardesty B (2015b) Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112:11899–11904. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1502108112
Yeginsu C (2018) European Parliament approves ban on single-use plastics. In: Nytimes.com. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/world/europe/european-parliament-plastic-ban.html. Accessed 7 Apr 2019
Yonkos L, Friedeldietri E, Perez-Reyes A et al (2014) Microplastics in four estuarine rivers in the Chesapeake Bay, U.S.A. Environ Sci Technol 48(24):14195–14202
Zettler E, Mincer T, Amaral-Zettler L et al (2013) Life in the “plastisphere”: microbial communities on plastic marine debris. Environ Sci Technol 47(13):7137–7146
Zhang W, Wu Y, Simonnot M (2012) Soil contamination due to e-waste disposal and recycling activities: a review with special focus on China. Pedosphere 22(4):434–455
Zhang J, Peng Y, Wang L (2018) Occurrence of microplastics in human faeces of children in Tian**, China. Abstracts of Papers, 256th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Boston, MA, United States, August 19–23
Zhao S, Ward J, Danley M et al (2018) Field-based evidence for microplastic in marine aggregates and mussels: implications for trophic transfer. Environ Sci Technol 52(19):11038–11048
Zubris K, Richards B (2005) Synthetic fibers as an indicator of land application of sludge. Environ Pollut 138(2):201–211
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hale, R.C., Seeley, M.E., Cuker, B.E. (2020). Plastic Pollution and the Chesapeake Bay: The Food System and Beyond. In: Cuker, B. (eds) Diet for a Sustainable Ecosystem. Estuaries of the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45481-4_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45481-4_17
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-45480-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45481-4
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)