ABSTRACT:

Plastics have become an essential part of life, found in the majority of life spans, including medical kits in hospitals, such as syringes, catheters, IV tubes, and sterile packaging, enabling safe, modern medical practices due to their durability and flexibility. On the other hand, plastic packaging significantly extends food shelf life. It is also involved in transportation construction, agriculture, and drinking water distribution systems. A detailed search revealed that the role of plastic in daily life has become routine, from toothbrushes to cars, laptops, mobile phone covers, and the construction of buildings. The discharge of plastic after its prime use poses a threat to life, as it is nonbiodegradable and does not truly break down, persisting in soil and water reservoirs. The persistence consequences of the accumulation of microplastics in the food chain include endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, cancer, reproductive disorders, metabolic diseases, cognitive issues, thyroid problems, and reproductive toxins. Moreover, microplastics can interact with other environmental toxins, acting as carriers of pathogens and toxic chemicals (e.g., PCBs & heavy metals) into organisms. Because only 7% of plastic waste is recycled, the remaining 93% is disposed of, releasing toxic chemicals into soil and water reservoirs. Recent studies showed accumulation of plastic in mothers’ breast milk, alarming for infants who will be exposed to this contamination from the day of entry into the plastic age. The important part of this plastic age is the infants born in the present era and recipients of the impact from the first mother’s feed, while it is nearly impossible to eliminate all plastic debris, modern society faces an urgent need to significantly reduce, reuse, and better manage plastic to mitigate these health and environmental risks.
Keywords: Plastic, life, shelf life, toxic chemicals, environmental risk How to Cite this paper?