Plastic pollution and its adverse impact on ecosystem
Abstract
The accumulation of plastic and products made of plastic in the environment lead to plastic pollution which imposes a hazardous effect on wildlife and human food chain. The plastics have a chemical configuration by which they are resistant to environmental degradation rusting to high incidences of environmental pollution due to slow degradation. Plastic pollution occurs by plastic goods which vary according to its chemical configuration. It depends on the method of its polymerization and the method of natural degradation. Depending on the size, plastic pollutants are categorized into micro-, meso-, or macro debris. Since 1950 to 2021, about 6.3 billion tones of plastics have been produced worldwide, 9% and 12% of which have been recycled and incinerated, respectively. Human population increase and consistent demand for plastics and plastic products are responsible for continuous increase in the production of plastics, generation of plastic waste and its accompanied environmental pollution. We have reviewed in this paper, the most relevant literatures on the different types of plastics in production, the hazardous chemical constituents, prevailing disposal methods and the detrimental effects of these constituents to air, water, soil, organisms and human health viz-a-viz the different disposal methods. Papers that reported environmental and public health effects of plastic constituents but not plastics directly were also reviewed. Varieties of plastics used in the production of many consumable products including medical devices, food packaging and water bottles contain toxic chemicals like phthalates, heavy metals, bisphenol A. brominated flame retardants, nonylphenol, polychlorinated biphenylethers, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, phenanthrene etc.
How to Cite This Article
Dr. Rekha Jangra (2022). Plastic pollution and its adverse impact on ecosystem . International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation (IJMRGE), 3(4), 441-445.