Forever Art

by Pamela Patch

Title

Forever Art

Artist

Pamela Patch

Medium

Photograph - Photography, Digital

Description

Close up view of a section of styrofoam debris that washed up on the Long Beach Washington peninsula after the Japan Tsunami.

Foam is used in marine materials such as buoys, as well as building and home products that were swept to sea during the 2011 tsunami in Japan. DEC ( Department of Environmental Conservation) has researched the effects of marine debris, particularly polystyrene foam (Styrofoam, foam insulation) on the environment. Foam is non-biodegradable and can stay in the environment for hundreds of years.

While it is not toxic of itself, foam does present a hazard to animals. It is not uncommon for bears to bite and tear into foam and birds often peck at the material and consume it. Animals also mistake smaller fragments for food, and can choke and suffocate if the material gets lodged into their throat or trachea. Foam cannot be broken down by the GI tract and the material can obstruct or block their digestive systems, leading to death by malnutrition or starvation.

Due to the chemical and physical composition of polystyrene foam, the material can leach or absorb other toxins and contaminants. Animals expose themselves to these chemicals when mistaking the material for food. Both DEC's State Veterinarian and ADF&G's Wildlife Veterinarian are watching evolving research, new studies or data that may indicate other toxic effects to marine and coastal wildlife from polystyrene foam.

Uploaded

March 12th, 2013

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Viewed 497 Times  -  Last Visitor from Cupertino, CA on 04/25/2024 at 10:02 PM

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