Nakulokhu futhi, ipulasitiki ibonakalisiwe ukuthi ikhona yonke indawo olwandle. Ecwila phansi eMariana Trench, okusolwa ukuthi ifinyelele kumamitha angu-35,849, usomabhizinisi waseDallas uVictor Vescovo uthe uthole isikhwama sepulasitiki. Akusikho okokuqala lokhu: lokhu kungokwesithathu ipulasitiki itholakala engxenyeni ejulile yolwandle.
UVescovo wacwila ebhafini ngo-Ephreli 28 njengengxenye yohambo lwakhe lwe-“Five Depths”, oluhlanganisa uhambo oluya ezingxenyeni ezijulile zolwandle lomhlaba. Ngesikhathi samahora amane kaVescovo phansi kweMariana Trench, wabona izinhlobo eziningana zezilwane zasolwandle, enye yazo kungaba uhlobo olusha – isikhwama sepulasitiki kanye nezingqwembe zamaswidi.
Bambalwa abafinyelele ekujuleni okungaka. Unjiniyela waseSwitzerland uJacques Piccard kanye noLieutenant we-US Navy uDon Walsh babengabokuqala ngo-1960. Umhloli we-National Geographic kanye nomenzi wefilimu uJames Cameron wacwila phansi kolwandle ngo-2012. UCameron waqopha ukucwila ekujuleni okungamamitha angu-35,787, eduze nje kwamamitha angu-62 uVescovo athi wawafinyelela.
Ngokungafani nabantu, ipulasitiki iyawa kalula. Ngasekuqaleni konyaka, ucwaningo lwenze amasampula ama-amphipod emiseleni eyisithupha yolwandle olujulile, okuhlanganisa nama-Mariana, futhi lwathola ukuthi wonke ayedle ama-microplastic.
Ucwaningo olwanyatheliswa ngo-Okthoba 2018 lubhale ngepulasitiki ejulile kakhulu eyaziwayo - isikhwama sokuthenga esibuthakathaka - sathola ukujula okungamamitha angu-36,000 eMariana Trench. Ososayensi basithole ngokuhlola i-Deep Sea Debris Database, equkethe izithombe namavidiyo abantu abangu-5,010 abacwila emanzini eminyakeni engama-30 edlule.
Kudoti ohlungiwe oqoshwe kudathabheyisi, ipulasitiki iyona evame kakhulu, kanti izikhwama zepulasitiki ikakhulukazi ziwumthombo omkhulu wedoti yepulasitiki. Eminye imfucuza yayivela ezintweni ezifana nerabha, insimbi, ukhuni kanye nendwangu.
Kufika ku-89% wamapulasitiki ocwaningweni ayesetshenziswa kanye kuphela, lawo asetshenziswa kanye bese elahlwa, njengamabhodlela amanzi epulasitiki noma izitsha zokudla ezilahlwayo.
I-Mariana Trench ayiyona igodi elimnyama elingenampilo, inezakhamuzi eziningi. I-NOAA Okeanos Explorer yahlola ukujula kwalesi sifunda ngo-2016 futhi yathola izinhlobo ezahlukene zokuphila, okuhlanganisa izinhlobo ezifana nama-coral, i-jellyfish kanye ne-octopus. Ucwaningo lwango-2018 luphinde lwathola ukuthi amaphesenti angu-17 ezithombe zepulasitiki eziqoshwe ku-database abonise uhlobo oluthile lokuxhumana nezilwane zasolwandle, njengezilwane eziboshelwa emfucumfucwini.
Ipulasitiki esetshenziswa kanye itholakala yonke indawo futhi ingathatha amakhulu eminyaka noma ngaphezulu ukubola endle. Ngokusho kocwaningo lwangoFebhuwari 2017, amazinga okungcola eMariana Trench aphezulu kwezinye izindawo kuneminye yemifula engcoliswe kakhulu eShayina. Abalobi balolu cwaningo basikisela ukuthi ukungcola kwamakhemikhali emiseleni kungase kuvele ngokwengxenye epulasitikini ekholomu yamanzi.
Izibungu ze-Tubeworm (ezibomvu, i-eel kanye ne-jockey crab zithola indawo eduze komgodi womoya oshisayo. (Funda ngezilwane ezingavamile zemigodi yomoya oshisayo ejulile ePacific.)
Nakuba ipulasitiki ingangena olwandle ngqo, njengemfucumfucu epheshulwa ogwini noma elahlwe ezikebheni, ucwaningo olwanyatheliswa ngo-2017 lwathola ukuthi iningi layo lingena olwandle livela emifuleni eyi-10 egeleza ezindaweni zokuhlala zabantu.
Izinto zokudoba ezilahliwe nazo ziwumthombo omkhulu wokungcola kwepulasitiki, kanti ucwaningo olwanyatheliswa ngoMashi 2018 lubonisa ukuthi izinto zokwakha zakha ingxenye enkulu yeGreat Pacific Garbage Patch entanta phakathi kweHawaii neCalifornia ngobukhulu eTexas.
Nakuba kusobala ukuthi kunepulasitiki eningi kakhulu olwandle kunaleyo esesikhwameni sepulasitiki esisodwa, le nto manje isishintshe kusukela ekubeni yisingathekiso somoya yaba isibonelo sokuthi abantu bathinta kangakanani iplanethi.
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Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Agasti-30-2022