ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION

Authors

  • Thura M.H. Alyasiri Department of Biology, Al-Farabi University Collage, Iraq
  • Salah M.M. AL-Chalabi Biotechnology Research Center, AL-Nahrain University, Iraq

Keywords:

plastic pollution, public health, environmental implications

Abstract

Since plastic products are lightweight, economical, long-lasting, sturdy, and easy to manufacture, humans rely heavily on them. A total of 7800 Mt of resins and fibers were produced between 1950 and 2015, with 3900 Mt produced in the last 13 years. Regrettably, the COVID-19 circumstance has led to a surge in the creation of personal protective equipment (PPE), for example, for the year 2020, the total amount of hazardous medical waste dumped by all governmental and private health institutions in Iraq was 7150 tons (According to the statistics announced on the website of the Ministry of Planning - Central Statistical Organization / Republic of Iraq). Other sites in the world, such as China and Spain have seen significant increases in medical waste, with rises of 350 percent and 370 percent, respectively. Chemicals that leach out of plastic and may infiltrate food and beverages while they are being processed or packaged are the greatest threat when a consumer is directly exposed to plastic. Therefore, transitioning to more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as bio-based polymers, is important.

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Published

2022-07-15

Issue

Vol. 6 (2022)

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION. (2022). British Journal of Global Ecology and Sustainable Development, 6, 20-28. https://journalzone.org/index.php/bjgesd/article/view/77