disrupts ecosystems. China is highly affected by this: for instance, Guiyu, a city of
China, where local water streams get polluted and become black due to acidification
of e-waste. If allowed to persist, acidification conditions can damage ecosystems to
the point that recovery is unlikely or even impossible.
B. On animals
By the improper recycling and disposal, heavy metals can also enter surface waters.
Such as its ingestion in fish leads to neurological damage, permanent disabilities and
damage to the immune system. Presence of heavy metals also leads to tissue and gill
damage with erratic movement. Heavy metals can impact not only fish but all other
aquatic organisms.
C. On human beings
Effect of heavy metals extends well beyond fish, above and beneath fish on the food
chain, ultimately extending to human beings and public health. If e-waste contaminates surface water, those drinking such water and bathing and recreating in this
water are impacted. In extreme worst cases, toxic heavy metals can enter into
the earth and leave groundwater nondrinkable. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals
in fish leads to contamination up the food chain, all the way to humans and is the
primary route of exposure for many people to heavy metals. Heavy metals are also
persistent in the environment and do not degrade upon exposure to sunlight or other
environmental conditions. As a result, they persist in surface water and can make
their way down into groundwater tables, creating exposure risks to many both close
to and miles away from the original point of contamination. Toxic metals, such as
mercury, lead, and cadmium, which are found in printed circuit boards and other
electronics, affect the nervous and reproductive systems and other organs. These
impacts are particularly pronounced in children and the elderly. Instead, it is the
cumulative effect of heavy metals, which severely affects the human health. These
adverse effects of e-waste on all phases of life in the world should be removed as we
delete data in our computer system “alt+ctrl+delete” (Li et al. 2015).
4.3 Types of Plastics and Its Effect
Plastic is a synthetic and semisynthetic polymer with malleable property and therefore can be molded into different solid objects. The addition of different additives to
plastic gives desirable properties to the end product (Chen and Patel 2012). Food and
beverage packing is the single largest category among plastics. Plastics are classified
into two classes on the basis of heat resistance: (A) thermoplastic: it softens on
heating and can be remolded again, (B) thermosetting: it cannot soften on heating
and cannot be remolded again due to cross-linking in the polymers. Even plastics can
be classified based on their hazardous ranking (Table 4.1).
Plastics are also classified on the basis of their recycling. There are mainly 7 types
of plastics on the basis of recycling ability:
122
B. Jain et al.
China, where local water streams get polluted and become black due to acidification
of e-waste. If allowed to persist, acidification conditions can damage ecosystems to
the point that recovery is unlikely or even impossible.
B. On animals
By the improper recycling and disposal, heavy metals can also enter surface waters.
Such as its ingestion in fish leads to neurological damage, permanent disabilities and
damage to the immune system. Presence of heavy metals also leads to tissue and gill
damage with erratic movement. Heavy metals can impact not only fish but all other
aquatic organisms.
C. On human beings
Effect of heavy metals extends well beyond fish, above and beneath fish on the food
chain, ultimately extending to human beings and public health. If e-waste contaminates surface water, those drinking such water and bathing and recreating in this
water are impacted. In extreme worst cases, toxic heavy metals can enter into
the earth and leave groundwater nondrinkable. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals
in fish leads to contamination up the food chain, all the way to humans and is the
primary route of exposure for many people to heavy metals. Heavy metals are also
persistent in the environment and do not degrade upon exposure to sunlight or other
environmental conditions. As a result, they persist in surface water and can make
their way down into groundwater tables, creating exposure risks to many both close
to and miles away from the original point of contamination. Toxic metals, such as
mercury, lead, and cadmium, which are found in printed circuit boards and other
electronics, affect the nervous and reproductive systems and other organs. These
impacts are particularly pronounced in children and the elderly. Instead, it is the
cumulative effect of heavy metals, which severely affects the human health. These
adverse effects of e-waste on all phases of life in the world should be removed as we
delete data in our computer system “alt+ctrl+delete” (Li et al. 2015).
4.3 Types of Plastics and Its Effect
Plastic is a synthetic and semisynthetic polymer with malleable property and therefore can be molded into different solid objects. The addition of different additives to
plastic gives desirable properties to the end product (Chen and Patel 2012). Food and
beverage packing is the single largest category among plastics. Plastics are classified
into two classes on the basis of heat resistance: (A) thermoplastic: it softens on
heating and can be remolded again, (B) thermosetting: it cannot soften on heating
and cannot be remolded again due to cross-linking in the polymers. Even plastics can
be classified based on their hazardous ranking (Table 4.1).
Plastics are also classified on the basis of their recycling. There are mainly 7 types
of plastics on the basis of recycling ability:
122
B. Jain et al.