Polythene Pollution

Introduction to Polythene pollution:

The pollutants that are of major concern in today’s world are non biodegradable
pollutants that do not degrade or degrade very slowly in the natural environment.
Polythene pollution is an example of non biodegradable pollution and they persist on
our earth years after years affecting even future generation.
Polythene pollution is mostly created by polythene bags, plastic syringe, pesticide
containers, medicinal bottles.

Effects of Polythene Pollution

Polythene pollution has widespread and myriads of effects on ecosystem:

• Polythene pollution through biomagnifications enters the food chain and

increases along the trophic levels.

• Polythene obstructs the drains, natural water bodies, landfills.

• Plastic bags may be carried by the wind into forests, ponds, rivers, and lakes
polluting te surrounding regions

• Most facial cleansers are made of polyethylene microplastics which are too small
to be removed by wastewater plants and therefore easily get entry into into
waterways and ocean.Additionally these microplastics in presence of UV ray can
absorb PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) causing a greater toxic effect in water.

• Polythene debris can transport organic pollutants in the seas and oceans.

• Many marine organisms like bryozoans, barnacles, polychaetes, crabs and

mollusks inhabit on plastic and are transported along with the ocean current to the
new sites where they act as alien species upsetting the ecological balance of the
site.

• Polythene , a petroleum product is a suspected human carcinogen or cancer-

causing agent. In studies with mice, polyethylene has been linked to cancer of the
colon. When these bags come in direct contact with food, as in packaging,
chemicals within the bag can leach out into the food and contaminate it. When
burned they release cancer-causing gases.

• Polythene can also cause AIDS and thrombosis.

 • About 1 billion sea animals die each year by ingesting polythene bags mistakenly.
The plastic bags on ingestion may wrap around their gut or they choke them to
death.

Steps to Combat Polythene Pollution

• Plastic polythene bags must be banned altogether or by levying tax on plastic
bags, polythene pollution may be checked.

• Polythene materials may be considered for recycling. Very few fractions of

polythene containers can be recycled like polythene containers for soft drink,
milk, water bottles.

• People must be encouraged to use wax paper instead of polyethylene products, to

use cloth or hemp or jute or paper bags instead of plastic bags.

• More public awareness has to be created explaining about the harmful impact of
polythene pollution.