reduced (Clark et al. 1999). This chapter describes the different types of plastics, the
sources and wastes generated, the impacts on human health, environment and marine
life, and the different techniques used for the detection and removal of the plastic
wastes and toxins.
2.1.1 The Plastic Consumption per Person
Figure 2.2 shows the total plastic production per person without taking into account
the waste management and recycling. The figure represents the daily basis of plastic
wastes generated by a person, measured in kilogram unit per individual. It can be
seen that the plastic consumption per individual basis is ten times higher in countries
including Guyana, Ireland, Kuwait, the Netherlands, and the United States (US) than
other countries like India, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.
Fig. 2.2 The plastic waste production per person worldwide. The overall plastic waste generated per person before the waste management protocols, or recycling, but not indicating the effects
of water pollution. (Reprinted with permission of [Plastic Pollution, Hannah Ritchie, Attribution 4.0
International (CC By 4.0)] from Hannah Ritchie 2018)
2 Identification and Remediation of Plastics as Water Contaminant
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