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Polymers And Plastics

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Polymers and plastics take decade to degrade in which it poses serious environmental and health hazard. The causes of polymers or plastics to degrade its form is due to the environmental factors such as light, heat, moisture, chemical and biological processes in which it changes the structure and bond of the polymers (Maes et al., 1986; Donnel et al., 1979). The degradation of polymers causes it to erode, discolor, cracking and delaminating (Viletti et al., 2002). To prevent the plastics from discoloration and brittle, chemicals are added as additives to obtain the desired properties in which this includes adding stabilizers fillers, plasticizers, pigments, antioxidants and flame retardants (Arnold, 1968; Deanin, 1975). Heavy metals such as aluminum (Al), arsenic, (As), barium (Ba), bromine (Br), calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), Iron (Fe),mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), tin (Sn), selenium (Se), titanium (Ti) and zinc (Zn) are widely used as additives in plastics. Addition of different additives may cause contamination and breakdown of the product thus; it may result in harmful effect. The behavior of biting, teething, sucking and chewing of plastic toys by young children and infant may causes them to swallow or ingest these harmful substances due to the migration of unreacted monomers …show more content…

These heavy metals could cause cancers, mental dysfunction, lack of energy, nervous system and targetting the target organ such as kidney, lungs and other vital organs (Ahiamadjie et al., 2011). There is no level of heavy metals in blood is safe or normal as exposure to extreme small amount could cause a long term effect in children while causing no distinctive symptoms (Guney,

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