Plastics A Threat

Post on 07-May-2015

9.619 views 2 download

Transcript of Plastics A Threat

Plastics are polymers, large molecules made of repeating units Plastics are polymers, large molecules made of repeating units of smaller molecules (of smaller molecules (monomersmonomers) that are chemically bound ) that are chemically bound together. A polymer is like a chain in which each link is a together. A polymer is like a chain in which each link is a monomer. monomer.

The word derives from the Greek The word derives from the Greek πλαστικόςπλαστικός (plastikos)  (plastikos) meaning fit for molding, and meaning fit for molding, and πλαστόςπλαστός  (plastos) (plastos) meaning molded.meaning molded.

Polythene Structure

Resistance to chemicals, water and impact.

Good safety and hygiene properties for food packaging.

Excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties.

Relatively inexpensive to produce.

Lighter weight than competing materials, reducing fuel consumption during transportation.

Plastic is one of the few new chemical materials which pose environmental problem.

Plastic in the environment is regarded to be more an aesthetic nuisance than a hazard, since the material is biologically quite inert.

Plastic is cheap, it gets discarded easily, and, its persistence in the environment can do great harm.

Once a plastic products are used, most plastic go into landfill, or garbage. Each year more and more plastics are ending up littering the environment.

Plastics Release Pollutants:

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)

Nonylphenolls

Bisphenol A

Phthalates

Plastics Absorb Hydrophobic Pollutants:

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloro ethane (DDT)

Dichloro Diphenyl Dichloro ethylene (DDE)

Many plastics, particularly PVC, when burned result in emissions of the deadly poisons named dioxin.

Dioxins are highly persistent compounds, with the potential to become increasingly concentrated in living tissues as they move up the food chain. It is often considered to be the man-made compound most toxic to animals.

Plastic debris is proliferating in the environment, especially in the marine environment, and is causing numerous problems for humans and wildlife.

The majority of marine debris is plastic.

Beaches around the world are littered with plastic debris. Even the most remote islands, uninhabited by human beings, are becoming inundated with non-biodegradable plastics.

DEGRADING BEAUTY

Dead Albatross in north pacific gyre with plastic waste in its stomach This was the plastic waste found in the stomach of albatrossThis is the deformed tortoise due to plastic belt around itSmall fishes who ingested small plastic pellets

“Plastics, like diamonds….

ARE FOREVER”

Only 3.5% of plastics are recycled in any way.

63 pounds of plastic packaging goes into landfills in the U.S. per person per year.

Broken, degraded plastic pieces outweigh surface zooplankton in the Central North Pacific by 6 to 1.

The 3 ‘R’ is the only solution for plastic pollution.

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Reduce

Recycle Reuse

Plastic

This Mother Earth is not for …..But for all of US.

Thank you for your valuable time.

Any queries please?