Illegal Disposal of E-cigarettes Threatens Australia's Clear Waters
According to the Australian Night News on April 19, a man named Wayne Bradbury discovered a brightly colored object flashing on the usually clear sandy bottom of Shoalwater Bay while scuba diving. However, instead of being an exotic fish adding a splash of color to the seabed, it turned out to be a colorful e-cigarette.
When Mr. Bradbury saw the first e-cigarette in the water, he felt confused, but when he saw the second one, he was shocked.
"The water is very clear and I could see e-cigarettes lying at the bottom of the sea around me," he recounted. "I had to go back and forth twice to clear out all the e-cigarettes from my pocket." These e-cigarettes are illegally sold in Western Australia and are being casually discarded at the sea bottom, covering an area of about 20 meters in radius. "Most likely they were thrown into the water from the shore," Bradbury responded.
When he returned to shore and saw the pile of e-cigarettes, Bradbury was shocked by people's reckless behavior. He stated that he has spent most of his life diving in this body of water, and this was the first time he encountered e-cigarettes in the water.
"Lohjankrum's seawater is very clear," he said.
Bradbury collected a total of 38 e-cigarettes and took a photo of the pile of trash. E-cigarette litter is becoming an increasingly concerning issue, as a single e-cigarette could take hundreds of years to decompose. The lithium batteries in e-cigarettes may leak harmful chemicals and are difficult to recycle.
Bradbury's sharing of a photo of an e-cigarette on social media immediately sparked over 100 comments. One woman mentioned that similar situations exist at other docks nearby, as e-cigarette users tend to toss them into the water after use. Some people appreciated his effort in cleaning up the area.
Bradbury had a message for those who discard e-cigarettes: "Wake up and don't ruin our beautiful coastline. Please dispose of your trash properly and be a better person."
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