The sea for humans is a valuable source of resources: minerals and gases, fauna and flora, liquids. And vacationers also do not particularly stand on ceremony with nature, regularly throwing them into the water or leaving kilograms of household waste and rubbish in the sand.
Nature has not learned how to cleanse itself of industrial technological wastes, since they were created artificially, and it can take tens, hundreds or even thousands of years to naturally break down and decompose. This is how various "slag" accumulates at the depths of the sea, which finds its manifestation in the general pollution of the coast from year to year.
Consider the TOP 10 most polluted seas, which people reached in their economic and tourist activities.
10. Caspian
In the depths of this sea, oil field research is regularly conducted. As a result, industrial waste remains in the water area, which destroys the local flora and fauna. At the moment, it is known that the hydrocarbon content in the liquid significantly exceeded safe norms. Phenol is also increased 6 times more than is permissible for normal use of water.
9. South China
The economies of Asia and China are developing by leaps and bounds, which leads to the massive construction of hydroelectric power stations, ports and other economic facilities on the coast of this sea. Toxic algae regularly reproduce, which leads to the staining of water in a red tint and its pollution. Also, industrial wastewater discharges into the sea, not even passing through the primary filtration. Liquid samples from coastal waters showed disappointing indicators, which forced the sea to be listed as the most polluted in the Southern Hemisphere.
8. Red
The famous sea of Egypt attracts a lot of tourists every year. It surprises with rare corals, colorful fish and other beautiful fauna, as well as clean light sand and water. However, this applies to resort areas, where the purification of coastal waters is monitored - nevertheless it is a source of income for local authorities. How are things really? The Red Sea has recently evaporated rapidly, which leads to the concentration of toxic components. The reduction in fishing is observed up to 70%. At the same time, the tourist flow increases, which leads to additional pollution of the water with biological and household waste.
7. Sea of Japan
As well as in other similar seas, untreated sewage and oil products, the amount of which exceeds the established norms by 10 times, are intensively discharged into the Japanese megacities. Not only hydrocarbons, but also pesticides and DDT (insecticide) were found in the sea surface.
6. Mediterranean
Ranks 3rd in the world in pollution. Megacities of Italy and Cyprus use water in industry, not shying away from waste, so doctors do not advise relaxing on the coast of large cities. Scientists have found that annually about 650 million tons of municipal solid waste and more than 200 million toxic liquids based on mercury, petroleum products and lead are thrown into the sea. It was also revealed that each kilometer of the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea contains an average of 2 thousand items of human waste. Some representatives of the fauna (for example, swordfish and tuna) accumulate mercury that is toxic to humans, and then they come to our table.
5. Laccadive
The sea of the coast of India “became famous” for its richness in compounds of heavy metals, salts and suspensions, the concentration of which reaches an average of 0.6 milliliters per liter of liquid. These figures exceed the permissible values by 6 times, which is extremely dangerous for human health, and especially for children and elderly citizens whose immunity is weakened. Megacities build up ports in the sea, which are generators of hazardous waste and wastewater.
4. Baltic
And this sea is the leader in the volume of chemical and even nuclear components in its bowels. According to some data, even mustard gas was discovered in water in addition to the already existing soman, sarin and diphosgene. About half a million tons of chemical weapons (charges and containers), as well as nuclear waste, which is a kind of “powder keg” of delayed action, were sunk at the bottom. In addition, the Baltic Sea is rather shallow, which leads to an increased concentration of garbage, household waste and toxic liquids. In total, scientists counted about 60 potential "deadly" sites with an increased concentration of poisons.
3. The Black Sea
The most polluted east of the sea (excess concentration of toxins by 6 times). Hydrogen sulfide was detected at the bottom. A significant number of staying tourists leads to severe pollution of water expanses and coastal household and biological waste. The main source of pollution is maritime shipping, as well as ancillary facilities such as docks, ports and construction companies. The rate of water exchange and self-purification in this sea is reduced, which leads to the accumulation of sewage and oil products. Recently, outbreaks of intestinal infections in the population and tourists have been diagnosed. Pollution also negatively affects fisheries, reducing the volume of fish and seafood caught - and this is an important source of income for local regions.
2. Azov
One of the dirtiest seas in Europe, which is noticeable not only to scientists, but also to the naked eye of a tourist. Dark and muddy water, the seabed covered with skeletons of fish, decaying corpses of animals on the coast - and this is far from the limit of what a person faces every season. A characteristic oil mold is already observed in the water area (up to 0.05% of the surface of the sea surface!), And E. coli and related diseases will soon return to normal. A shallow depth leads to an increase in the concentration of industrial water and harmful chemical elements, and the rapid decomposition of biological mass. Periodically, natural foci of pollution are also noted, for example, small mud volcanoes.
1. Gulf of Mexico
One of the first places in the ranking is occupied by a small sea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. It does not have so much household waste from tourism, but there is a very "motley" chemical composition. The rivers flowing into the bay carry various nitrates, phosphorus, and other toxins from megalopolises of the USA, Mexico, and Cuba. Also, oil spills in the area, which leads to poisoning of local fauna and flora. It is estimated that the sea during the industrial development has accumulated about 10 million barrels of oil.
As we see, for the most part it is the man and his unreasonable economic activity that are to blame for the pollution of the sea. Factories and stations do not install the necessary purification filters, illegally draining waste into rivers and seas. Old ports and docks, as well as heavy shipping, degrade local ecology. The development of gas and oil sources leads to toxic poisoning by marine products. And the moral level of most tourists leads to the fact that thousands of tons of water gets into biological and household waste. Let us be more attentive to our common nature and save its valuable resources, otherwise an ecological catastrophe is inevitable!