How is plastic made ? Is the usage of plastic harmful to our health?
Answers
Plastics are not inherently bad, and they have many redeeming ecological features; in fact, many of the techniques we utilize in our designs involve targeted use of plastic products. Their durability and low maintenance reduce material replacement, their light weight reduces shipping energy, their formulation into glue products allows for the creation of engineered lumber and sheet products from recycled wood, and their formulation into superior insulation and sealant products improves the energy performance of our structures
Toxic chemical release during manufacture is another significant source of the negative environmental impact of plastics. A whole host of carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and hormone-disruptive chemicals are standard ingredients and waste products of plastic production, and they inevitably find their way into our ecology through water, land, and air pollution.
Answer:
Plastics are things made of polymers. Plastic was once thought to be a boon for mankind. It is readily available. It is cheap. It can be used easily to manufacture different products in different shapes, sizes and for many purposes. But excessive use of plastics has become a major global pollution problem. The harmful effects of plastics are:
Plastics are a health hazard. Exposure to toxic chemicals emitted by plastics causes cancer, decreases the effectiveness of the immune system, and are responsible for many other diseases.
Dumping of plastic wastes had created an unhygienic condition to our environment. In fact we are running out of space to dump the plastic litters.
Plastics are not bio-degradable and can remain unchanged for many years. This adversely affects the fertility and the quality of the soil.
Our freshwater sources like rivers and lakes are becoming plastic wastes dumpsters.
When eaten by animals or birds it cannot be digested and lead to death.
Plastic garbages find their way into rivers and oceans. They are swallowed by fish, seabirds, and other marine creatures leading to death by suffocation.
Since plastics do not degrade, they accumulate in drainage and sewerage systems and block the flow causing waterlogging.
Plastics are often disposed off by burning and this releases poisonous gases into the atmosphere.
The solutions to the problem are recycling of plastic wastes, avoiding single use plastic products, replacement with alternative materials, not using plastic bags or bottles or straws, and a massive cleanup drive to remove plastic wastes from our rivers, lakes and seas.