Abstract
In the contemporary world, the menace of plastic pollution dovetailed with the current pandemic scenario is a globally rising concern which is affecting every life form on Earth. Plastics hold several properties like ductility that permit the material to be casted and given numerous shapes and forms for various commercial uses. When summed up, it has benefited mankind by becoming an indispensable part of our lives. But the negative impacts associated with it lurks behind silently. Most of the plastic polymers manufactured today are highly resistant to degradation, and the accumulation of these complex and persistent materials are not only causing serious damage to the environment, but also to human health. Additives are added during the manufacturing process to improve the life of these synthetic polymers. The excessive usage of plastic products has resulted in accumulation of the hazardous chemicals, associated with plastic polymers in human body about which this chapter discusses further.
TopMain Focus Of The Chapter
The current day synthetic compounds are a result of the primitive evolution of plastic from various natural compounds. One of the most remarkable characteristics of plastic is its ductility which allows it to be moulded into a handful of shapes and forms, which are later utilised in the commercial sector for packaging materials, constructing buildings, sports equipment, art and craft, pharma and medical industry, etc. Apart from its anti-corrosive nature and durability, other properties of plastics include its social aspect of possessing less face value which makes it easily accessible in the production market.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Accumulation: The gradual gathering of mass/quantity of something.
Bio-Persistent: Tending to stay inside any biological medium.
Degradation: The process of being degraded gradually.
Pollutant: A substance which is capable of polluting the environment physically, chemically or biologically.
Axons: The long threadlike portion of a nerve cell which conducts impulses from the cell body to other cells.
PEGylated: PEGylation (or pegylation) is the process of both covalent and non-covalent attachment or amalgamation of polyethylene glycol.
Transcutaneous: Existing, applied, or measured across the depth of the skin.
Ecosystem: The sum total of the environment.
Toxic: Very harmful and unpleasant, capable of causing damage.
Spectroscopy: The branch of science concerned with the investigation and measurement of spectra produced when matter interacts with or emits electromagnetic radiation.
Persistent: Continuing firmly or obstinately in an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
Histopathological: Examination of biological tissues in order to observe the appearance of diseased cells in microscopic detail.
Polymer: A substance which has a molecular structure built up chiefly or completely from a large number of similar units bonded together, e.g., many synthetic organic materials used as plastics and resins.
Exposure: The act of getting exposed or state of having protection from something harmful.
Jeopardise: Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.
BioPET: Plastic based on 30% renewable raw material and 70% oil-based raw material.
Ambiguity: Anything possessing more than one interpretation.
Translocate: Move from one place to another.
Moulding: To give something a shape.
Phytoplankton: Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow.
Contamination: Turning impure by polluting or poisoning.
Uptake: The action of taking up or making use of something that is available.
Langerhans’s Cell: Langerhans cells (LCs) reside in the epidermis as a dense network of immune system sentinels. These cells determine the appropriate adaptive immune response (inflammation or tolerance) by interpreting the micro-environmental context in which they encounter foreign substances.