Humans have always had a tendency to view bodies of water as giant dumpsters. You put the gook and trash in and then it magically disappears—or floats someplace else at least. The problem is, dirty water makes people and animals sick, and as examples such as the syringe tide—where medical waste and trash washed up on New York City beaches in the late 1980’s— have taught us, all the nastiness comes back to us eventually.

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