26-12-2017, 10:46 AM
Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that negatively affects wildlife, wildlife habitat or humans. The plastics that act as contaminants are classified as micro, meso or macro-disperiments depending on the size. The importance of plastic pollution is correlated with the fact that plastics are cheap and durable, which leads to high levels of plastics used by humans. However it is slow to degrade.
Plastic pollution can adversely affect land, waterways and oceans. Living organisms, particularly marine animals, can also be affected by entanglement, direct ingestion of plastic debris or exposure to chemicals within plastics that cause disruptions in biological functions. Humans are also affected by plastic pollution, such as altered thyroid hormone axis or hormone levels. In the United Kingdom alone, more than 5 million tons of plastic are consumed per year, of which an estimated 24% converts it into recycling systems. That leaves 3.8 million tons of waste remaining, destined for landfills. Efforts have been made to reduce plastics in some areas in an attempt to reduce plastic consumption and pollution and promote the recycling of plastics.
There are three main forms of plastic that contribute to plastic pollution: micro-plastics and mega and macro-plastics. Mega and micro plastics have accumulated in higher densities in the Northern Hemisphere, concentrated around urban centers and water fronts. The plastic can be found near the coast of some islands due to the currents that transport the waste. Both the mega and the macro-plast are in containers, footwear and other household items that have been washed from ships or disposed of in landfills. Articles related to fishing are more likely to be found in remote islands. These can also be called micro, meso and macro waste.