Negative Effects Of Plastic

Plastic can be seen in everyday life, appearing in a myriad of forms, from a plastic bottle from which people consume water to something as complex as a circuit board. Ever since its invention by Leo Baekeland in 1905, plastic has become a part of everyone’s life. Plastic seems so simple, yet it plays a big part in the world, affecting and influencing the environment, medical advances, and human health. Without plastic, the world would be very different from the one today.

It is estimated that each year, five hundred billion to one trillion plastic bags are consumed. A lot of those bags wind up in the ocean, the forest, or any other kind of habitat. Plastic bags take up to a thousand years to break down; therefore it poses a threat to the

Plastic has become such a big part of human life that every day, it is most likely that everyone will come into contact with plastic. However, certain components of plastic may risk human health as it creates harmful substances that can damage human cells. For example, BPA, a basic building block of polycarbonate plastic, has been identified as a substance that interferes with hormonal functions.Other ingredients other than BPA has potential to leak toxic components over time . These toxins seems unavoidable in life as they seem as if they appear everywhere. People often believe that the most hazardous way one can be affected by plastic is if they manufacture it. However, people are not only exposed to the harms of plastic during its manufacturing, they also get affected by plastic packaging, as sometimes the components of plastic migrate from the plastic itself to the food. Plastic can also hide in items like toothbrushes, purses, or even receipts . Another fatal substance, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic thermoplastic material, is known to cause cancer, impair reproduction, and cause birth defects. While plastic does an outstanding job of providing patients in hospitals a safe environment and a quick recovery, it may also be the source of their illness. That is why when people access this material, they have to be cautious and constantly reminded of its possible