Effects of Plastics

They are everywhere! These plastics have now become a necessity where nobody seems to be surviving without it. It has become like an addiction where people want to use this Due to their relatively low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility (lightweight, good insulators of heat or electricity, non-rusting) and imperviousness to water, plastics are used in an enormous and expanding range of products, from paper clips to spaceships. Although it has so many advantages, what we should not forget is that it has also lot of negative effects to the environment on which we depend for survival. It has three main effects; Economic, Environmental and Political. 1. Economic effect: It shows some sort of positive effect in economy. In 1996, the plastic industry employed more than 1,337,700 jobs in the US alone. Manufacturers are dependent on plastic to save them money on packaging, as they use one-third of the US production. In a recently conducted test, researchers found out that by using plastic over glass and metal, the United States economy could save over $336 trillion. 2. Environmental effect: Although plastic has few positive influences in everyday lives, there have been instances when plastics have posed serious environmental damages which include:

Pollution: Plastic is apparently one of the most harmful pollutants due to its nonbiodegradable nature. Some plastic bags, it is proved, can last in the environment for up to a thousand year. In Nepal, it is hardly possible to see a place in the urban areas where plastics are not thrown away. One just needs to stand up at a place and look around to see plastic bags, bottles, covers of different products thrown here and there.
Threat to wildlife: It has been observed that the animals eating the bags sometimes die. Plastic goes to into the ocean which is already a plastic infested body of water. Fish and other marine

species in the water ways, misunderstand plastic garbage as food items swallow them and die. Hundreds of camels die each year from ingesting plastic bags left behind in the desert. One in every two camels dies from plastic. Rocks of calcified plastic weighing up to 60 kilograms are found in camel stomachs every day.
Toxicity and health hazards: Many chemical additives that give plastic products desirable performance properties also have negative environmental and human health effects. These effects include: Direct toxicity, as in the cases of lead, cadmium, and mercury, Carcinogens, as in the case of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and Endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancers, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children. People are exposed to these chemicals not only during manufacturing, but also by using plastic packages, because some chemicals migrate from the plastic packaging to the foods they contain. Examples of plastics contaminating food have been reported with most plastic types, including Styrene from polystyrene, plasticizers from PVC, antioxidants from polyethylene, and Acetaldehyde from PET.

3. Political effect: Due to the high cost of the disposal of the plastic rubbish, many countries resort to indiscriminate dumping of plastics. In many cases, some developed countries actually pay the

developing countries to dump the rubbish in their country so that the developed countries backyard would be clean of the unwanted plastic products. Sometimes, rumors spread about dumping of toxic waste and this often cause tensions between the related nations. Besides dumping of plastics, some countries actually incinerate the plastic waste and all the poisonous gases produced actually spreads across nations; causing serious effects such as acid rain, health and environmental effects across the borders. So, as it has lot of effects on different sectors, we need to forward our pace to prevent its negative effect which is occurring basically on environment. We should be responsible and can follow following some ways like buying food in glass or metal containers. Avoid polycarbonate drinking bottles with BisphenolA. Avoid heating food in plastic containers, or storing fatty foods in plastic containers or plastic wrap. Do not give young children plastic toys. Use natural fiber clothing, bedding and furniture. Avoid all PVC and Styrene products for the clean environment.

Surendra Bam (surendra_bam777@yahoo.com)