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effect of pollution on planet earth
harmful effects of pollution
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In the modern world, we as despicable humans have consumed the most raw materials of
all the living organisms of Earth. We also have produced the most waste of all the living
organisms of Earth. From food scraps to plastics to carbon dioxide, we have polluted this planet
to its limit. The existence of the human race has turned our home into a giant landfill. Of the
many pollutants we put into the environment, one type stands out: plastics. Plastic was created to
be a convenient and cheap material for domestic use, but it has caused many problems like the
deaths of animals and the contamination of soil and water. One specific type of plastic that has
affected the community is polystyrene. Polystyrene, more commonly known as Styrofoam, has
created serious issues including problems connected waste disposal, global warming, and cancer.
From its original use as an industrial material in the early twentieth century to its use in
packaging currently, polystyrene has been proven to cause cancer, pollute the environment, and
cause a myriad of issues in the environment and community
The history of polystyrene began in 1839, when polystyrene was discovered by a German
apothecary named Eduard Simon who was completely unaware of the various effects the
chemical and physical composition of polystyrene would cause. Polystyrene, also known as
Styrofoam is an aromatic polymer made of styrene monomers. When it was discovered, Eduard
Simon isolated it from natural resin a well-known source of natural plastics. Later in 1922,
Hermann Staudinger had published his research on the rubber and plastic like structure of
polystyrene, which earned him a Nobel Prize in chemistry. The complete chemical and physical
characte...
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...foam cups
as reported in 2012 by Go Green In Asia especially, the lack of bans and regulates accelerated
the accumulation of polystyrene in the environment. In all Polystyrene is a major issue around
the world affecting regions from Asia to North America.
Figure 1
With 25 billion Styrofoam cups thrown away each year (Go Green, Green Living),
Styrofoam poses a problem to the entire world. From its health effects to its accumulation in
landfills, Polystyrene is a major pollutant. It is used in packaging, insulation and food storage
and its light weight and cheap price makes it easy for business. It leaks Styrene, contaminating
water, affecting humans and animals, and it is not easy on the environment. From its discovery
in 1839 to its widespread usage in the early twenty-first century, it has been a gift to businesses
but a curse to the environment.
This pollution problem is so ubiquitous plastic can be found throughout the marine environment from coastlines to near shore lagoons to remote ocean hotspots where plastics caught up in marine currents. And gathered up into huge garbage patches that swirl
Plastics are a product that was intended to stay on land; although they have been entering oceans at a startling rate, affecting the environment dramatically. Pol...
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. (2004, August 11). Environmental Roadmapping Initiative. Retrieved October 14, 2011, from Plastics Impacts, Risks and Regulations: http://ecm.ncms.org/ERI/new/IRRPlastics.htm
Large mammals such as whales, consume over 24,000 tons of plastic per year. The survival of many species, including the Hawaiian Monk Seal and the Loggerhead Turtle are being jeopardized and are nearly extinct. “The economical effects of plastic pollution cause an estimated $1.27 billion dollars in vessel damages per year and the cost of removing this debris cost $1,500 to $25,000 per ton” (Sounds Like Garbage). That’s over 13 billion dollars the government is using each year to try and remove some percentage of the plastic debris that has accumulated over the years. Plastic pollution also releases toxic chemicals that are being absorbed by the plastic, increasing the concentration a million times more. Which results in toxic chemicals entering our food chain that leads towards cancer, malformation, breast cancer, and even death. If plastic pollution continues to go unsolved, the ecological, economical and eco-toxicological effects it has had will basically begin, no it has already began, to destroy Earth and we are the ones who did this to
According to the American Council of Chemistry, plastics, which are otherwise known as polymers, are comprised of carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and other elements that are combined through the conversion of natural products like oil, natural gas, or coal (ACA, n.d.). Between 7 and 8 % of the oil and natural gasses produced annually are used either directly in the conversion of such fossil fuels to plastics, or in powering the processes to produce plastics (Hopewell, Dvorak & Kosior, 2009). Plastic combinations can either form as thermoplastics, which are plastics whose atoms are connected in long chains that can be melted and reused, or thermosets, which are plastics whose atoms are arranged in three dimensional patterns that cannot be melted or reused (ACC, n.d.). Plastics are used in a wide range of products. For example, polyesters are used in textiles and fabrics, polyvinylidene chlorides are used for food packaging, polycarbonates are used for glasses and disks, and more. By the United States energy averages of 2015, each kg of plastic produced requires 62-108 mega joules of energy. The plastic requiring the largest amount of energy per kg is silicon which required about 235 mega joules of energy per kg. Three hundred and twenty two million metric tons of plastic produced in 2015 alone, and that value continues to raise, (Global plastic production,
There is also debate on how much better biodegradable plastics are in the first place. This is because as biodegradable plastics break down, they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but never quite disappear. This leaves the potential that the plastic would continue entering the food chain. But although biodegradable plastics aren’t perfect, they are still much safer than standard plastic and present a much lower risk. In addition, by making the shift to ban single use plastics, research towards better plastic alternatives will speed up and better solutions will become available. Over time, these new alternatives to plastics may spread to other items that aren’t single use, making an even greater impact on the health of humans and the
Water is the most abused and wasted natural resource. Even with all our technological advancements, there are still approximately 1 billion people on this planet that do not have access to clean drinking water. Earth is comprised of 75% water with 96% of that being ocean water. Throughout the years, the ocean has become a dump for societies to use, throwing trash and waste away into the waters. Marine debris can destroy marine habitats, endanger marine and coastal wildlife, and serve as threats to human health and safety. For decades there has been a steady increase in the production of plastic materials for human use and various consumptive purposes. Due to bad disposal techniques, our population’s overuse, and the non-biodegradable nature of plastic; plastic is accountable for 80% of marine debris. This issue of plastic has and is
Plastic is a synthetic (human-made) material and takes much longer to decompose than natural materials. Plastic items take many lifetimes to decompose in landfills.
It generates hazardous waste that is ultimately deposited in the oceans’ shores. As most of the plastics deposited are non-biodegradable. The plastic pollution is damaging the marine life as well as the well being of human. In the article “Plastic Pollution” by Kiener, it is stated that the plastic comprises of 10 percent of all ocean debris. It has been estimated that about 100 million tons of plastics are used worldwide everyday, and only 5 percent of the plastic is recycled because most types of plastic cannot be recycled economically. Kiener also notes in his article that approximately 2.4 million pounds an hour of plastic enters in the world’s oceans everyday. Therefore, the most important thing that we can do is, to stop plastic waste from entering the oceans in the first
Since the 1960s when plastic bottles were widely distributed, there have been several negative externalities resulting from their consumption and disposal. Flooding landfills and leaking into water supplies, debris fortified with chemicals that are often ingested by marine life, harmful emissions caused by its incineration, and the difficulty of recycling are just a few of the negative externalities that costs millions in. About 4 percent of the world’s oil production is used as raw materials to fuel the machines that make plastics, and people all over the world are exposed to chemicals from plastic several times each day through the air, dust, water, food and use of consumer
Plastic pollution negatively affects America’s future. The origin of this environmental pollution is caused by the excessive lack of ethics that human beings have. Many times, people throw garbage on the streets, seas, etc. Not knowing that this will be severely altered the environment, and planet earth conditions. Environmental pollution is found in many places such as plastic products, cleaning products, food, animals, personal care products, and the most dangerous in the environment where the oxygen we breathe and share with other living beings (Eriksen 2013).
...n. Many American shares a common image of not living in a finite world and are used to exponential growth in almost all aspects of that a developed country would attempt to obtain positively. Though when comparing the United States to other countries around the world with the amount of garbage produced annually, we top the scales around two hundred and thirty-six million tons. Even japan, ranked third and half the size of America, has less then fifty-five million tons of garbage annually. (Forbes) As we continue to diminish our sources at alarming rate, people often forget the treatment and infrastructure required to manage all our garbage. The sad but inevitable process of wiping out forests and preserved land for more space for urban living hugely hurts not only American population but foreign companies who wish to do future international business in our country.
In order to better understand the problems of plastics in the ocean, It’s important to know the harm it causes to wildlife animals, and the negative effects it has on humans and finding out the causes of pollution, and how it enters our oceans and a way to try and prevent future problems.
One huge aspect of recycling is that it gives the recycler the fulfillment of helping the environment. W. Kip Viscusi a professor at Vanderbilt University said, “The warm glow environmental benefit that a person receives from recycling will be greater for those who place a higher value on the environment .” Therefore, the benefit of helping our environment is the greatest benefit of all. Although it might seem as if plastic is thrown away than it can not harm the environment, however, that is incorrect. Plastic is not biodegradable, therefore, it will never be able to completely decompose into the earth. With plastic not being able to decompose it takes up a large amount of space while also being capable of traveling through the air. Sati Manrich, the author of Plastic Recycling said, “The mounting volume of plastic residues, coupled with their extremely low biodegradability, generated a serious problem regarding the amount of space they took up.” Therefore, when plastic is thrown away it will last for at least four-hundred and fifty years before degrading in the landfills; thus allowing all the plastic that was thrown away in the last four-hundred and fifty years to start a stockpile in the landfills or even travel somewhere else.(Manrich
from different resins. In order to recycle plastics, the different types must be kept separate.