Estate Living Magazine #liveyourbestlife - Issue 46 December 2019 | Page 42

C O M M U N I T Y
flesh-eating bacteria (Vibrio vulnificus), which is often associated with
the presence of sewerage outfall. In Durban in 2014, Dr Peter Breedt of
Hillcrest became infected while paddling in the ocean. Intense medical
intervention saved his life, but it was touch and go. Not so lucky was eight-
year-old Liam Flannagan, who lost his life in 2018 to this pathogen. And
it’s not just in the oceans. In 2017, Johannes Smit from Vanderbijlpark was
infected while fishing in the Vaal River, and in 2019 Madeleine Carelse, also
from Vanderbijlpark, ended up fighting for her life. This risk is becoming
more prevalent, because of increased pollution in the oceans, but also
because of increasing seawater temperatures creating ideal conditions
for rapid growth.
Demon plastic
Plastic is so useful, but we are learning that it is a double-edged sword. Our
rivers are choked with the stuff. The Emfuleni crisis was caused by plastic
blocking thousands of kilometres of sewer, creating an impenetrable
plug that caught everything flowing through it, eventually bursting to the
surface as a constant flow of raw sewerage into the nearest river – the Vaal.
We are disgusted by these images – and rightly so – but this is not the real
issue underpinning plastics. All rivers end up in the ocean, and so, too,
does plastic.
Remember the top ten metres of the ocean is inhabited by phytoplankton
that synthesise energy from the sun. Just below that layer is a second,
slightly darker one where plants cannot live – but animals can. Trillions of
teeny little beasties collectively known as zooplankton populate this darker
zone, quietly munching on the phytoplankton. And this is where plastic
changes the game at planetary level. All plastic eventually breaks up
into tiny particles known as microplastics. The little zooplankton animals
ingest the microplastics along with the phytoplankton, which changes
the density of their faecal pellets. Now that may not seem important, but
this constant shower of tiny faecal pellets from the zooplankton transfers
energy from the sun into the darkest depths of the oceans, in trenches that
are deeper than Mount Everest is high. But, because the microplastics
change the density of these faecal pellets, they float rather than sink. This
single fact alters the transfer of energy at a planetary scale. This is just one
of the many reasons why plastics are bad for human survival on Earth.
L I V I N G
So, what can each of us do about this?
Understand the interconnectedness of sea and land through
the flow of fresh water from rivers. Remember, anything that is
improperly discarded – even in Gauteng – will end up in the sea.
Eventually.
On a personal level, deal with plastics by demanding of your
retail supply chain a change in packaging. Don’t buy personal
care products with microbeads, and apply the five Rs to plastic
– preferably refusing it and reducing your use of it, or at least
reusing and/or repurposing it and, as a last resort, recycling it. Very
importantly, never discard unused medication down the toilet, as
this cannot be removed by the wastewater treatment plants and
leads to the evolution of drug-resistant pathogens.
At an estate or developer level, plan to, at the very least, enable
residents to lighten their impact on our rivers and oceans. Even
better, design and manage estates to encourage responsible use
of resources, and demand responsible and sustainable practices
from all service providers. Create a culture in which residents are
aware of how much their actions impact on the environment – even
thousands of kilometres from the front gate.
Not all doom and gloom
Don’t cancel your end-of-year holiday on the coast, but be aware
of pathogens such as Vibrio vulnificus – they are much scarier
than sharks. Keep children away from stagnant fresh water on the
upper portions of the beach in the same way you would discourage
them from swimming in strong currents; treat any infection with
disinfectant early, and seek medical advice if the infection persists.
But enjoy the sea, for it is a manifestation of the only blue planet in
the entire known universe. That’s a very big place indeed, so we are
truly special.
Dr Anthony Turton