Dangerous of plastic

Plastics are used a lot by doctors and dentists because they are hygienic and will not poison our bodies. Dentists use acrylic to make special white fillings.

Many clothes are made from synthetic fabrics. The fabrics are made from plastic fibers that have been spun out really fine, then made into yarns for knitting or weaving.

Many glues are plastics. PVA white glue is a solution of PVA dissolved in water. When it is used to glue two pieces of wood together, the water is soaked up by the wood. The PVA is soaked up with the water. When the water evaporates, the PVA stays behind in the joint, making a strong plastic bridge.

Most paints are made from plastic resins. Some, like acrylic house paints and polyurethane varnish are dissolved plastics which dry to form a tough waterproof skin. Other polyurethane, epoxy and polyester paints have to be mixed with a hardener which makes a chemical reaction.

Teflon coatings on saucepans and irons are sprayed on as dry powder then baked in a hot oven to make the particles melt together. This is called powder coating and it is also used to put a very tough layer of epoxy or polyester on metal articles like furniture.

Last but not least, Plastic is widely used for plastic bags. In my country, the use of plastic bag for grouping the things we purchased in store is commonly used. Every market in my country have it because it’s cheap.

Some consequences of plastic pollution to the environment are :

Plastic bags litter the landscape. Once they are used, most plastic bags go into landfill, or rubbish tips. Each year more and more plastic bags are ending up littering the environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes.

Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. And one of the worst environmental effects of plastic bags is that they are non-biodegradable. The decomposition of plastic bags takes about 1000 years.

Petroleum is required to produce plastic bags. As it is, petroleum products are diminishing and getting more expensive by the day, since we have been using this non-renewable resource increasingly. Petroleum is vital for our modern way of life. It is necessary for our energy requirements – for our factories, transport, heating, lighting, and so on. Without viable alternative sources of energy yet on the horizon, if the supply of petroleum were to be turned off, it would lead to practically the whole world grinding to a halt. Surely, this precious resource should not be wasted on producing plastic bags, should it?

Plastic bags kill animals. About 100,000 animals such as dolphins, turtles whales, penguins are killed every year due to plastic bags. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore die. And worse, the ingested plastic bag remains intact even after the death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies around in the landscape where another victim may ingest it.

References :
• http://library.thinkquest.org/C003844/a_effects.htm• http://www.calibre.co.nz/plasticf.htm• http://www.dancewithshadows.com/business/pharma/plastic.asp• http://www.what-you-make-it.com/Plastic-pollution.html• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/environmental-pollution-the-harmful-effects-of-plastic-bags.html