Marine Pollution and Related Legislations

Major sources of marine pollution are particles, hazardous chemicals, industrial, agricultural & residual wastes, warm water effluents, urban runoff and discharges, noise and invasive species. Plastics, oil or other organic wastes, PVC, plasticides, furans, dioxins, phenols, PCB and heavy metals are directly toxic to marine fauna while others block their alimentary canal or injuring the soft body parts such as eyes, gills or delicate eggs and young ones. Oil spills reduces the dissolving oxygen to water, affects plumage of birds and fur of mammals and associated with several malefic effects. Heavy metals could cause bioaccumulation which affects the top level carnivores in the food chain, Nutrient loading causes coastal eutrophication, and ocean acidification affects the shell fishes. Key legislations such as Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 (London Protocol), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 & 1978 relating thereto referred as MARPOL 73/78 and the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation 1990 (OPRC) are reviewed in this book.