The world is facing many global issues nowadays and they are accumulating with time. Globally, people know about the different types of Pollution however there are new additions every day, the one which will be discussed in the article prevailing currently is Plastic pollution. The increasing plastics and the products made from plastic which is in the environment causing plastic pollution and also have an adverse and harmful effect on humans, wildlife, and the environment. The plastics are resistant to the degradation of the environment because of their chemical configuration and due to this slow degradation occurs. The categorization of the plastic pollutants is done according to their size for example; micro and macro. Everything is affected by this pollution whether it be land, water, or air.
Effect on Soil
In the soil, through the seepage in underground water, the hazardous chemicals are released from plastics. The discharge of methane gas into the atmosphere by the Flavobacteria and Pseudomonas (the nylon-eating bacteria) plays a vital part in global warming and greenhouse gases. Moreover, these chemicals contaminate the soil which hinders the growth of the crops.
Effect on Water and Marine animals
The water is contaminated by the plastic waste which in turns goes into the coastal water endangering the marine life and the effect is on all the surroundings including the humans and animals when they consume the seafood furthermore the long term cause is the carcinogenic effect on all because of the discharge of the chemicals lead, cadmium, diethyl hexyl phthalate, and mercury. Microplastic debris pollutes the oceans as they are floating on the surface of the sea. The marine animals affected the most are sea turtles and jellyfishes who face the esophageal obstruction moreover the plastic gathers into the stomach of whales nonetheless the small fishes like tuna and lantern fish consume little pieces of plastic.
Effect on Birds
The birds face the problem of tissue damage of the digestive tract when they consume tiny bits of plastic and then their digestive tract is obstructed. This is caused by the poisonous chemical known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). They might also encounter marine plastic pollution when they consume on the fishes which are contaminated with the certain chemical. When a researcher did a study of the bird affected by plastic pollution, he saw the particles of plastic in one piece in the proventriculi and gizzard of the bird.
As an individual, we all should combine hands to work for resolving this issue of plastic pollution. We need to educate and spread awareness for this issue so that people can know how lethal it is for the environment, how this pollution is affecting the rivers, lakes and marine life and how humans are getting different diseases from it. Furthermore, we need to launch campaigns about the sustainable use of plastics. A ban should be enforced on the use of hazardous plastics and only bio-degradable products should be utilized. Nonetheless, the government should make policies and measures to ensure the reduction of this pollution
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Source: Satsangi, A. (2019). Plastic Pollution and Its Remedies. January, 142–159. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-9452-9.ch008
