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TheInvisibleWaveisa newreportfromBacktoBlue,an
initiativeofEconomistImpactandTheNipponFoundation.Its
aimistobringtheissueofmarinechemicalpollutiontoa wider
audience,includingpolicymakers,governments,thechemicals
industry,thebroaderbusinesscommunity,thefinancesector,
civilsocietyandconsumers.
Chemicalpollution—ofland,air,rivers,watersheds—has
beena problemfordecades.Chemicalsintheformofheavy
metals,persistentorganicpollutants,pesticides,plastics,
sewage,medicinesandradioactivematerialsarebeing
uncoveredalmosteverywhere.Understandably,mostofthe
focusiswherehumanslive,onland.Thisreportseekstoraise
awarenessofchemicalpollutionintheocean,whichitself
beginsmainlyonland,asitsscaleandpotentialimpactare
notwidelyappreciated.Unlikeplasticpollution,whichisoften
visible,chemicalpollutionislargelyunseenandmoredifficult
todetectandtrack.Amongthereport’sprincipalfindingsare:
Marinechemicalpollutionisa growingglobalproblem
thatrequiresurgentandco-ordinatedaction.Synthetic
chemicalsarepresentinthedeepestpartsoftheoceanand
inallmannerofmarinelife.Concentrationsofthemost
dangerouschemicalsinthemarineenvironmentcontinueto
increase,andharmsmarinelife,biodiversityandecosystems.
Marinechemicalpollutionispredominantlyduetohuman
actions,andwillgetworse.Asmanymorechemicalsare
beingproduced,andinever-greatervolumes,theimpact
onthemarineenvironmentwillbecomemoresevere.
Exacerbatingfactorsincludethe“greening”ofeconomies
(requiringnewmaterialsandchemicals)andtheexpansion
ofproductionbythechemicalsindustry,particularlyinAsia
andtocountrieswithlimitedoversight.
Chemicalpollutionintheoceanislinkedtotacklingboth
climatechangeandplasticwaste.Chemicalsinteractwith
environmentalfactorsliketemperature,acidityandsalinity—
allofwhichareaffectedbyclimatechange:higherwater
temperatures,forexample,canleadtoincreasesinchemicalTHE INVISIBLE WAVE
Getting to zero chemical pollution in the ocean
concentrations in the ocean. Plastics not only contain (and
leach) toxic chemicals, but micro- and nanoplastics, that hurt
marine life, and which adsorb chemicals and transport them
in the marine environment.
More research is needed into marine chemical pollution,
and more funding. here are tens of thousands of chemicals
in use, with thousands more being added each year, yet in
most cases we know little or nothing about their impact on
the ocean environment—or on humans. Additional research
is needed to determine the scope and extent of chemical
pollution in the ocean and the damage on the marine
environment. Greater funding should be targeted to the
chemicals of greatest concern.THE COST OF INACTION
More research is vital, yet even without a complete picture of
the scope and dangers of marine chemical pollution, failing to
act now poses a huge risk. Trillions of dollars in ocean services,
such as climate regulation and food provision, are threatenedSource:TheSecondWorldOceanAssessment,UnitedNations(2021);Ocean Pollutants Guide: Toxic
ThreatstoHumanHealthandMarineLife,IPENandtheNationalToxicsNetwork (October 2018)350,000
Chemicals registered for
production and use