the Floating Plastic Island

Maybe you've wondered what happens to all that plastic that drops through grates, blows into rivers, and floats down storm water drains. Wonder no more. It's forming a massive vortex in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, known as the Great Ocean Garbage Patch. or Great Pacific Garbage Patch. You can't see it from satellite pictures because a lot of it is floating just under the surface.
"Garbage Patch" is not a very appealing name. We all understand that it's not good for the environment, but let's spice it up a little, eh? Maybe we should call it the Great Floating Plastic Island instead.
Scientists are wondering: is it getting into the food chain? Is it breaking down and releasing toxins, and is that something to worry about? Or is this massive trash vortex benign, a curious echo of human activity.
Is it nature's way of picking up after us?