Kwakhona, iplastiki ibonakalisile ukuba ifumaneka kuyo yonke indawo elwandle. Entywila ezantsi kweMariana Trench, ekuthiwa yayifikelela kwiimitha ezingama-35,849, usomashishini waseDallas uVictor Vescovo wathi ufumene ingxowa yeplastiki. Oku akukokuqala ngqa: eli lixesha lesithathu iplastiki ifunyenwe kwezona ndawo zinzulu zolwandle.
UVescovo wantywila kwi-bathyscaphe ngomhla wama-28 ku-Epreli njengenxalenye yohambo lwakhe lwe-“Five Depths”, oluquka uhambo oluya kwiindawo ezinzulu zolwandle lomhlaba. Ngexesha leeyure ezine zikaVescovo ezantsi kweMariana Trench, wabona iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zobomi baselwandle, enye yazo isenokuba yintlobo entsha – ingxowa yeplastiki kunye neelekese zokusonga.
Bambalwa abafikelele kubunzulu obungaka. Injineli yaseSwitzerland uJacques Piccard kunye noLieutenant we-US Navy uDon Walsh babe ngabokuqala ngo-1960. Umhloli we-National Geographic kunye nomenzi wefilimu uJames Cameron watshona ezantsi kolwandle ngo-2012. UCameron warekhoda ukuntywila ukuya kubunzulu obuziimitha ezingama-35,787, kufutshane nje neemitha ezingama-62 uVescovo athi uzifikelele.
Ngokungafaniyo nabantu, iplastiki iyawa lula. Ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, uphando luye lwathatha iisampulu zee-amphipods kwimisele emithandathu yolwandle olunzulu, kuquka neeMariana, lwaza lwafumanisa ukuba zonke zitye ii-microplastics.
Uphando olwapapashwa ngo-Okthobha ka-2018 lubonise iplastiki enzulu eyaziwayo - ibhegi yokuthenga ebuthathaka - ifumene ubunzulu obuziimitha ezingama-36,000 kwiMariana Trench. Izazinzulu ziyifumene ngokuphonononga iDeep Sea Debris Database, equlathe iifoto kunye neevidiyo zabantu abantywila abangama-5,010 kwiminyaka engama-30 edlulileyo.
Kwinkunkuma ehleliweyo ebhalwe kwisiseko sedatha, iplastiki yeyona ixhaphakileyo, iingxowa zeplastiki ngokukodwa zingumthombo omkhulu wenkunkuma yeplastiki. Ezinye inkunkuma zazivela kwizinto ezifana nerabha, isinyithi, umthi kunye nelaphu.
Kufikelela kwi-89% yeeplastiki kolu phando bezisetyenziswa kanye kuphela, ezo zisetyenziswa kube kanye zize zilahlwe, njengeebhotile zamanzi zeplastiki okanye izitya zokutya ezilahlwayo.
I-Mariana Trench ayingomngxuma omnyama ongenabomi, inabemi abaninzi. I-NOAA Okeanos Explorer ihlolisise ubunzulu bale ngingqi ngo-2016 yaza yafumanisa iintlobo ngeentlobo zezinto eziphilayo, kuquka iintlobo ezifana neekorale, iijeli kunye neengwane. Uphononongo luka-2018 lukwafumanise ukuba i-17 ekhulwini yemifanekiso yeplastiki ebhalwe kwisiseko sedatha ibonisa uhlobo oluthile lokunxibelelana nezinto eziphilayo zaselwandle, ezifana nezilwanyana ezibhijelwa zizinto ezimdaka.
Iplastiki esetyenziswa kanye ifumaneka kuyo yonke indawo kwaye ingathatha amakhulu eminyaka nangaphezulu ukuba ibole endle. Ngokutsho kophando lukaFebruwari 2017, amanqanaba ongcoliseko kwiMariana Trench aphezulu kwezinye iindawo kuneminye yemilambo engcoliseke kakhulu eTshayina. Ababhali bolu phononongo bacebisa ukuba ungcoliseko lweekhemikhali kwimisele lunokuvela kwiplastiki ekwikholamu yamanzi.
Ii-Tubeworms (ezibomvu, i-eel kunye ne-jockey crab zifumana indawo kufutshane nomthombo womoya oshushu. (Funda ngezilwanyana ezingaqhelekanga zemithombo yomoya oshushu oshushu ePacific.)
Nangona iplastiki inokungena elwandle ngokuthe ngqo, njengenkunkuma ekhukuliswe elunxwemeni okanye elahlwe kwiinqanawa, uphando olwapapashwa ngo-2017 lufumanise ukuba uninzi lwayo lungena elwandle luvela kwimilambo eli-10 equkuqela kwiindawo zokuhlala zabantu.
Izixhobo zokuloba ezilahliweyo nazo zikwangumthombo ophambili wongcoliseko lweplastiki, uphando olwapapashwa ngoMatshi 2018 lubonisa ukuba ezi zinto zenza uninzi lweGreat Pacific Garbage Patch enkulu yaseTexas edada phakathi kweHawaii neCalifornia.
Nangona ngokucacileyo kukho iplastiki eninzi elwandle kunaleyo ikwingxowa yeplastiki enye, le nto ngoku iguqukele ekubeni ngumzekelo ongenamdla womoya yaba ngumzekelo wendlela abantu abawuchaphazela ngayo umhlaba.
© 2015-2022 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Onke amalungelo agciniwe.
Ixesha lokuthumela: Agasti-30-2022