Question

State the harmful effects of plastic in our environment... ​

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Since the development of plastic earlier this century, it has become a popular material used in a wide variety of ways. Today plastic is used to make, or wrap around, many of the items we buy or use. The problem arises when we no longer want these items and we have to dispose off them, particularly the throwaway plastic material used in wrapping or packaging.

Plastics are used because they are easy and cheap to make and they can last a long time. Unfortunately these same useful qualities can make plastic a huge pollution problem. The cheapness means plastic gets discarded easily and its long life means it survives in the environment for long periods where it can do great harm.

Because plastic does not decompose, and requires high energy ultraviolet light to break down, the amount of plastic waste in our oceans is steadily increasing.

The plastic rubbish found on beaches near urban areas tends to originate from use on land, such as packaging material used to wrap around other goods. On remote rural beaches the rubbish tends to have come from ships, such as fishing equipment used in the fishing industry.

Answer 2

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Plastics are not bio-degradable and can remain unchanged for many years. This adversely affects the fertility and the quality of the soil.
4. Our freshwater sources like rivers and lakes are becoming plastic wastes dumpsters.
5. When eaten by animals or birds it cannot be digested and lead to death.
6. Plastic garbages find their way into rivers and oceans. They are swallowed by fish, seabirds, and other marine creatures leading to death by suffocation.
7. Since plastics do not degrade, they accumulate in drainage and sewerage systems and block the flow causing waterlogging.
8. Plastics are often disposed off by burning and this releases poisonous gases into the atmosphere.