How does plastic bags affect the environment?
The major impact of plastic bags on the environment is that it takes many years to for them to decompose. In addition, toxic substances are released into the soil when plastic bags perish under sunlight and, if plastic bags are burned, they release a toxic substance into the air causing ambient air pollution.
Are plastic shopping bags a problem in our environment?
Plastic bags start out as fossil fuels and end up as deadly waste in landfills and the ocean. Birds often mistake shredded plastic bags for food, filling their stomachs with toxic debris. For hungry sea turtles, it’s nearly impossible to distinguish between jellyfish and floating plastic shopping bags.
What are the harmful effects of plastic?
Adverse Health Effects of Plastics
- Direct toxicity, as in the cases of lead, cadmium, and mercury.
- Carcinogens, as in the case of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)
- Endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancers, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children.
How much pollution do plastic bags cause?
The manufacture of plastic bags uses cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and vinyl hydrochloride, and the toxic by-products pollute our air, water and soil. A total of 300 million tons of toxic plastic waste is produced every year. Around 80 per cent of this goes to landfill or is simply discarded.
What are the harmful effects of using plastic?
Endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancers, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children.
Why plastic bags are harmful to human health?
Plastic products contain chemical additives. A number of these chemicals have been associated with serious health problems such as hormone-related cancers, infertility and neurodevelopment disorders like ADHD and autism.