THE DANGERS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ITS HARMFUL EFFECTS

THE DANGERS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ITS HARMFUL EFFECTS

Plastics are a part of our daily lives. It’s cheap, durable and ubiquitous and many things are made of it like water bottles, dishes, glasses, toys and even our cosmetics. Plastic material is used to manufacture hundreds of everyday products and it is found in almost every home but it’s not a safe and a perfect product to use and actually causing plastic pollution. There are numerous dangerous effects that plastic is causing and its affecting negatively on our health.
Plastics are typically made from byproducts of oil, natural gas, or coal, they are also known as polymers and there are many additives added to the plastic to give it a specific property such as, antioxidants, colorants, lubricants etc. These additives in the plastic are the main culprit in causing detrimental effect; they get absorbed into bodies, break down and cause the problem. They pollute the air, soil, water and most importantly they are a serious risk to human health and may increase the risk of cancer. Most plastics won’t degrade for hundreds of years. Among the biggest culprits are polyethylene, used in a lot of consumer packaging, nylon, used in fishing nets and PET, used in drinking bottles.
There are many ongoing researches going on to estimate the amount of plastic produced and how much is recycled and the amount of plastic which is left, it has been noticed that in 1950, the World’s population of 2.5 billion produced 1.5 million tons of plastic, in 2016 a global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 320 million tons of plastic and it is set to double by 2034.Plastic pollution is a growing threat to human health.
Some of the problems plastic is causing for serious human health issues are;

1. SPOILING THE FOOD AND DRINKS
Studies have showed that when we heat our food items or drinks in the microwave, plastic particles leach into food items and drinks and the toxins combines with the eatables and making them poisonous for us. These plastic particles which are leached out get absorbed through skin and causes damages.

2. CROSS PLACENTA
Toxins released from the plastic get accumulated in the placenta. Babies are born already being exposed to dozens of chemicals and later on in their childhood they may suffer from different health conditions like asthma. The alarming
Situation is that these problems occur before birth.

3. INFERTILITY
These toxins from plastic cause reproductive harm and infertility in both men and women. They may hinder genital development in baby boys.

4. CANCER
Researches have linked certain chemicals found within plastic particles to cause certain kinds of cancer. One of the most common types is breast cancer, which leads women to a higher risk.

5. THYROID
Plastics not only is absorbed in the blood and accumulate there, it also infer and mess with hormones within the body, like the thyroid. Now days, thyroid problem is becoming the most common type of hormonal imbalance and problems related to that.

6. HEART DISEASE AND DIABETES
High levels of plastic exposure contribute to greater cardiovascular disease risk. They also increase the odds of developing diabetes type 1 and 2.

As we are becoming more aware of the toxic effects plastic is causing on our health, our scientists are working really hard and working on the things that we can use as an alternative to the plastic products we are using in our lives.For example we can use and choose metal, glass or silicone straws Instead of plastic straws. Instead of using plastic water bottles and cups you may opt for stainless steel water bottles and glasses.we can use paper bags or the cloth bags instead of using the plastic shopping bags.Plastic cutlery is also commonly used but instead of that we can opt for bamboo spoons and forks or the steel ware.

We cannot completely remove our exposure to plastic and we cannot get rid of plastic from our lives but we can surely reduce its exposure by using some alternatives. The best way is to purchase and use plastic free items. Secondly, we can also detox our bodies from the harmful toxins we have taken up in the form of plastic, and with the help of them we will set ourselves for greater health and wellness.