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.
Published in Chapter:
The Effects of (Micro and Nano) Plastics on the Human Body: Nervous System, Respiratory System, Digestive System, Placental Barrier, Skin, and Excretory System
Sanchari Biswas (Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, India), Devarati Bagchi (GITAM Dental College and Hospital, India), and Debjit Ghosh (GITAM Institute of Science, India)
Copyright: © 2022
|Pages: 24
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-9723-1.ch008
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.