6
has SPI (Society of the Plastics Industry) code 3, indicating its low recyclability
competence. Polyvinyl chloride is not used for various applications like storing or
packaging food materials or for medical purposes (Halden 2010).
1.3 Plastic Waste Threats to Well-being
Within decades of plastic discovery, it seems to be present everywhere from the
coastal to the terrestrial environment. Globally, plastic production has expanded up
to 300 million metric tons, and at this rate, it is expected to reach approximately 33
billion tons by 2050 (Sussarellu et al. 2016), where polyethylene alone produced
around 140 million tons per year, contributing major part of plastic waste (Rochman
et al. 2013) also exemplify 35 kg of annual plastic production is equal to the 7 billion human biomass on earth (Zettler et al. 2013). This unwanted rise of plastic
waste in the environment is recognized as “white pollution” (Liu et al. 2014). The
traditional practices of waste management systems also fail due to a lack of seriousness and improper segregation structure for plastic waste collection. Annually,
approximately 12 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean (Jambeck et al. 2015;
Li et al. 2016). The International Pacific Research Centre modeled plastic waste
accumulation across the Hawaii island and termed accumulated plastic patches near
the North Pacific Ocean as “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” and “the Trash Vortex” in
the southern hemisphere, evidenced by the careless use and dumping of plastic
waste in the ocean (Eriksen et al. 2014). Plastics impend and expanse out up to the
space, as they have now been carried across the solar system by spacecraft and satellites. Van Franeker and Bell (1988) reported that plastic particles are common pollutants in stomachs of Wilson’s storm petrels (Oceanites oceanicus) and Cape
petrels (Daption capense) on the Antarctic continent and being the reason for their
death before fledging. Land also a potential sink for plastic wastes affecting land
fertility, groundwater movement and local habitat however, very least discussed.
The marine environment is exposed and has been widely studied in the context of
plastic pollution. Plastic is observed everywhere, from floating on open sea to deep
surface, sediments, and inside lives of sea (Thompson et al. 2009b). The large quantity of plastic comes from direct dumping, seeping from landfill sites, sewage, or
accidents.
Plastics in the environment weathered due to natural or anthropogenic events
into smaller sizes (<5 mm) called microplastics (Barnes et al. 2009). However, the
extent of pollution by microplastics is much more widespread than earlier assumptions. A total of around 35,500 metric tons of microplastic floats in the ocean have
been estimated globally (Eriksen et al. 2014), while Wieczorek et al. (2019) reported
the presence of microplastics in the 46% of fecal pellets of salp in an experiment
where microplastic supplied to environmentally relevant concentrations. These
micro-sized plastics are ingested by organisms like amphipods, lugworms, barnacles, sea cucumbers, and mussels causing their digestive system to bleed (Avio et al.
2017; Barboza et al. 2018). In a laboratory study, it was reported that marine fishes
A. Kumari et al.
has SPI (Society of the Plastics Industry) code 3, indicating its low recyclability
competence. Polyvinyl chloride is not used for various applications like storing or
packaging food materials or for medical purposes (Halden 2010).
1.3 Plastic Waste Threats to Well-being
Within decades of plastic discovery, it seems to be present everywhere from the
coastal to the terrestrial environment. Globally, plastic production has expanded up
to 300 million metric tons, and at this rate, it is expected to reach approximately 33
billion tons by 2050 (Sussarellu et al. 2016), where polyethylene alone produced
around 140 million tons per year, contributing major part of plastic waste (Rochman
et al. 2013) also exemplify 35 kg of annual plastic production is equal to the 7 billion human biomass on earth (Zettler et al. 2013). This unwanted rise of plastic
waste in the environment is recognized as “white pollution” (Liu et al. 2014). The
traditional practices of waste management systems also fail due to a lack of seriousness and improper segregation structure for plastic waste collection. Annually,
approximately 12 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean (Jambeck et al. 2015;
Li et al. 2016). The International Pacific Research Centre modeled plastic waste
accumulation across the Hawaii island and termed accumulated plastic patches near
the North Pacific Ocean as “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” and “the Trash Vortex” in
the southern hemisphere, evidenced by the careless use and dumping of plastic
waste in the ocean (Eriksen et al. 2014). Plastics impend and expanse out up to the
space, as they have now been carried across the solar system by spacecraft and satellites. Van Franeker and Bell (1988) reported that plastic particles are common pollutants in stomachs of Wilson’s storm petrels (Oceanites oceanicus) and Cape
petrels (Daption capense) on the Antarctic continent and being the reason for their
death before fledging. Land also a potential sink for plastic wastes affecting land
fertility, groundwater movement and local habitat however, very least discussed.
The marine environment is exposed and has been widely studied in the context of
plastic pollution. Plastic is observed everywhere, from floating on open sea to deep
surface, sediments, and inside lives of sea (Thompson et al. 2009b). The large quantity of plastic comes from direct dumping, seeping from landfill sites, sewage, or
accidents.
Plastics in the environment weathered due to natural or anthropogenic events
into smaller sizes (<5 mm) called microplastics (Barnes et al. 2009). However, the
extent of pollution by microplastics is much more widespread than earlier assumptions. A total of around 35,500 metric tons of microplastic floats in the ocean have
been estimated globally (Eriksen et al. 2014), while Wieczorek et al. (2019) reported
the presence of microplastics in the 46% of fecal pellets of salp in an experiment
where microplastic supplied to environmentally relevant concentrations. These
micro-sized plastics are ingested by organisms like amphipods, lugworms, barnacles, sea cucumbers, and mussels causing their digestive system to bleed (Avio et al.
2017; Barboza et al. 2018). In a laboratory study, it was reported that marine fishes
A. Kumari et al.