Plastic Pollution: Causes, Impacts and Prevention

Running head: PLASTIC POLLUTION
Plastic Pollution
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PLASTIC POLUTION
Introduction:
The report gives an insight into the aspect of plastic pollution. Plastic pollution refers to
the accumulation of the plastic products in environment that has an adverse effect on the wildlife
habitat, wildlife and humans. Plastic consist of a chemical structure that makes them resistant to
the process of natural degradation. Plastic acting as a pollutant is categorized into macro, meso
and micro based on the size (Webb et al. 2012). The resistance of plastic to degradation leads to
higher rate of plastic pollution in environment. The pollution due to plastic not only afflicts land
but also the oceans and waterways. Living organisms especially the marine animals harmed due
to ingestion of the plastic waste or due to the chemicals exposure of plastics. The estimation of
worldwide production of plastic has been close to 6.3 billion tones out of which only nine
percent is recycled and twelve percent destroyed (Vegter et al. 2014) .The report begins with the
concept of plastic pollution and the means of its occurrence. There is also discussion on the
causes of the plastic pollution and its impact on the environment. There report also puts forward
how the national and the local government can deal the problem of plastic pollution.
Discussion:
What is Plastic Pollution and how does it Occur
Plastic pollution refers to accumulation of various kinds of plastic substances on the land
and the water bodies like the oceans, rivers, canals and lakes (Webb et al. 2012). Plastic
represents a synthetic polymer consisting of various organic and inorganic compounds. It is
derived from the petrochemicals known as the Olefins. The plastic material has its primary
classification as the thermoplastics, also known as polyvinyl and polystyrene chloride and
thermosetting polymers, known as polyisoprene. In addition to this, plastic also has classification
based on engineering, biodegradable and elastomer plastics. Plastic is used as a commodity on a

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large scale and finds application in various ways. Although plastic represents a vital part of the
global polymer industry but their disposal and production posses a greater threat to various forms
of life on the earth. The degradation plastic usually takes a longer time that ranges between the
five hundred to thousand years (Derraik 2002). In other words, the exact time of degradation of
plastic is actually unknown. The manufacture of plastic emits various hazardous chemicals that
often lead to various kinds of deadly diseases in human beings and animals. Plastic contains
chemical toxins like ethylene oxide, xylene, benzene, bisphenol, flame-retardants, plasticizers
and antimicrobials that have an adverse effect on environment through the transfer of pollutant
(Eriksen et al. 2014). The chemical composition of plastic prevents its easy disposal and thereby
can result in causing permanent damage to the living beings. Plastic also contains various
additives like phthalates, adipates and alkylphenols. However, the vinyl chloride used in the
manufacture of thePolyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes has carcinogenic characteristics.
What Causes Plastic Pollution
Plastic is overused, lesser expensive and not easily degradable so when disposed in the
landfill sites it do not get rotten at a faster rate and therefore causes land pollution in that specific
area (dana et al. 2014). Most often people tend to throw the plastic bags and the bottles after
single use that leads to the increase in the rate of pollution on the land and oceans. The plastic
made bottles and bags clogs water bodies like the rivers, canals and lakes located in urban areas.
Each year, plastic production account for100 million tons across the world of which 25 million
tons of the non-degradable plastics accumulates in environment. For instance, amongst the entire
quantity of the municipal waste close to twenty percent consist of the plastic and the related
harmful polymers in the United States. The plastic industry of US has a valuation of $50 million
(Eriksen et al. 2014).