"Beat Plastic Pollution" is a presentation by Dr. Amrit Krishna Mitra, Assistant Professor, Department Of Chemistry, Singur Government College, West Bengal, India. In this presentation he discusses the chemistry & history of Plastics, its benefits etc., as well as the detrimental effects of plastic on the environment, and finally ways towards the resolution. https://www.sciencesg.com/scientificity/beat-plastic-pollution/

1. Beat Plastic Pollution
Dr. Amrit Krishna Mitra
Assistant Professor
Department Of Chemistry
Singur Government College,
Hooghly

2. What are plastics
❖ Plastic are easily formed materials. They are lighter than metals,
giving deeper sections for a given weight, and hence stronger
sections.
❖ The advantage to the manufacturer is that plastic products can
be mass-produced and require less skilled staff.
❖ Plastics require little or no finishing, painting, polishing etc.
Plastic is referred to as a self-finishing material. Particular
finishes can be achieved at relatively low cost. Plastics can be
easily printed, decorated or painted.
❖ Plastics are corrosion resistant, and generally waterproof
although certain types of plastics such as UPVC can become
brittle and it is possible for the sun’s rays to cause the colour of
the plastic to fade. It becomes bleached.

3. What are plastics from a chemist’s point of view?
Plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped,
usually by the application of heat and pressure. This property of plasticity,
often found in combination with other special properties such as low density,
low electrical conductivity, transparency, and toughness, allows plastics to be
made into a great variety of products. These include tough and lightweight
beverage bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), flexible garden
hoses made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), insulating food containers made of
foamed polystyrene, and shatterproof windows made of polymethyl
methacrylate.
The term “plastics” includes materials composed of various elements such as
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur. Plastics typically have
high molecular weight, meaning each molecule can have thousands of atoms
bound together. Naturally occurring materials, such as wood, horn and rosin,
are also composed of molecules of high molecular weight. The manufactured
or synthetic plastics are often designed to mimic the properties of natural
materials. Plastics, also called polymers, are produced by the conversion of
natural products or by the synthesis from primary chemicals generally coming
from oil, natural gas, or coal.

4. Additives generally used in plastics
Additives are incorporated into polymers to alter and improve basic mechanical,
physical or chemical properties. Additives are also used to protect the polymer
from the degrading effects of light, heat, or bacteria; to change such polymer
processing properties such as melt flow; to provide product color; and to provide
special characteristics such as improved surface appearance, reduced friction,
and flame retardancy.
Types of Additives:
Antioxidants: for plastic processing and outside application where weathering
resistance is needed
Colorants: for colored plastic parts
Foaming agents: for expanded polystyrene cups and building board and for
polyurethane carpet underlayment
Plasticizers: used in wire insulation, flooring, gutters, and some films
Lubricants: used for making fibers
Anti-stats: to reduce dust collection by static electricity attraction
Antimicrobials: used for shower curtains and wall coverings
Flame retardants: to improve the safety of wire and cable coverings and
cultured marble.

5. Origins of Plastics - synthetic Plastics
❖ The main source of synthetic plastics is
crude oil. Coal and natural gas are also
used.
❖ Petrol, paraffin, lubricating oils and high
petroleum gases are bi-products,
produced during the refining of crude oil.
❖ These gases are broken down into
monomers. Monomers are chemical
substances consisting of a single
molecule.
❖ A process called Polymerisation occurs
when thousands of monomers are linked
together. The compounds formed as
called polymers.
❖ Combining the element carbon with one
or more other elements such as oxygen,
hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine and nitrogen
makes most polymers.

6. Scientists contributed towards the development of
plastics
The world's first fully synthetic plastic was bakelite, invented in New York in
1907 by Leo Baekeland who coined the term 'plastics’. Many chemists have
contributed to the materials science of plastics, including Nobel
laureate Hermann Staudinger who has been called "the father of polymer
chemistry" and Herman Mark, known as "the father of polymer physics“.
Leo Baekeland Hermann Staudinger Herman Mark

7. The first such material to be manufactured was Parkesine, developed by the
British inventor Alexander Parkes. Parkesine, made from a mixture of
chloroform and castor oil, was “a substance hard as horn, but as flexible as
leather, capable of being cast or stamped, painted, dyed or carved.” The words
are from a guide to the International Exhibition of 1862 in London, at which
Parkesine won a bronze medal for its inventor. It was soon followed by other
plastics, but—apart from celluloid, a cellulose nitrate composition using
camphor as a solvent and produced in solid form (as imitation horn for billiard
balls) and in sheets (for men’s collars and photographic film)—these had little
commercial success until the 20th century.

8. Source of natural Plastics
❖ Natural ‘plastic products’ occur in such things as animals’ horns, animals’
milk, insects, plants and trees.
❖ Animals horns - Casein (glue)
❖ Animals milk - Formaldehyde (glue)
❖ Insects - Shellac (French polishing)
❖ Trees - Latex (rubber)
❖ Plants - Cellulose (table tennis balls), Cellulose acetate (cloth, photographic
film, handles), Cellophane (wrapping), Bitumen (roads, flat roofs)

9. What are Thermoplastics
❖ A thermoplastic, or thermosoftening plastic, is a plastic material,(a
polymer), that becomes pliable or moldable above a specific
temperature and solidifies upon cooling.
❖ Most thermoplastics have a high molecular weight. The polymer chains
associate through intermolecular forces, which weaken rapidly with
increased temperature, yielding a viscous liquid.
❖ Thus, thermoplastics may be reshaped by heating and are typically used
to produce parts by various polymer processing techniques such
as injection molding, compression molding, calendering and extrusion.
❖ Thermoplastics differ from thermosetting polymers, which form
irreversible chemical bonds during the curing process. Thermosets do
not melt when heated: they decompose and do not reform upon
cooling.

10. Long chain molecules

11. Expanded Polystyrene
❖ This is used for disposable food
packaging, disposable cups, heat
insulation and protective packaging for
electrical equipment.
❖ Image: Protective packaging
Clear Acrylic (Perspex)
❖ It was first used to make aircraft
canopies. It is ten times more
impact resistant than glass.
❖ Image: Perspex top of a
container.

12. Polystyrene
❖ Polystyrene is used to make plates,
cutlery and model kits.
❖ It is stiff hard and comes in a wide
range of colours.
❖ Image: cup and saucer
Nylon
❖ Nylon is hard, tough, self-lubricating,
has a high melting point and has very
good resistance to wear and tear.
❖ It has been used to make clothing,
bearings and propellers.
❖ Image: A nylon castor (wheel).

13. PVC
❖ The rigid type is used to make pipes, guttering and
roofing. It is very lightweight and is resistant to
acids and alkalis.
❖ The plasticised type is used for suitcases,
hosepipes, electrical wiring and floor coverings.
❖ Image: plumbing U-bend
Polythene
❖ High-density polythene has been used to
manufacture milk crates, bottles, buckets,
bowl and gear wheels.
❖ It is stiff, hard, can be sterilised and is
dense.

14. A Global Look at Plastics: Quantities, Uses
and Benefits
Plastic products improve our daily lives and have made vast
improvements in areas such as:
❖ Transportation - Automotive, Aerospace, Space Exploration
❖ Medicines - helping us all live longer, healthier lives
❖ Electronics - information, communication, and entertainment
❖ Building and Construction - durability, aesthetics, and high performance
❖ Personal protection - children, athletes, police and firefighters
❖ Innovative packaging - freshness, storage stability, and protection from bacteria
❖ Recyclability and reuse (SPI created the international recycling symbols/numbers
to facilitate recycling)

15. Benefits of Plastics
Case Study: Transportation
▪ During the oil crisis in the 70’s, automakers found that plastics made
cars more energy efficient by reducing weight.
▪ Plastics began finding their way into automobile components
(bumpers, fenders, doors, etc.)
▪ Plastics were also used for their
➢ Durability
➢ Corrosion Resistance
➢ Toughness
➢ Resiliency
➢ Lightweight
▪ Plastics reduced the weight of the average passenger car built in 1988 by
66 Kgs.
▪ That saves millions of gallons of fuel each year and will save the energy
equivalent of 21 million barrels (2428 million litres) of oil over the
average lifetime of those cars.

16. Plastics is a complex industry
▪ Processors – (four main processing methods)
➢ Injection Molding
➢ Extrusion
➢ Blow Molding
➢ Thermoforming
▪ Equipment Suppliers
▪ Raw Material Suppliers

17. Range of Products
• Plastics Bags
• Plastic Packaging Film and
Sheet
• Non-packaging Film and Sheet
• Plastics Profile Shapes
• Plastics Pipe & Pipe Fittings
• Laminated Plate, Sheet and
Shape
• Polystyrene Foam Products
• Urethane and Other Foam
Products
• Plastic Bottles
• Plastic Plumbing Fixtures
• Resilient Floor Covering
• Plastics Products, Not
Classified Elsewhere

18. Uses of Plastics - Statistics

19. Today’s Reality
▪ Plastic products have become an integral part of all our lives, and
play an irreplaceable role in our day-to-day activities.
Plastics industry is the nation’s 4th largest
manufacturing industry (shipments):
1. Motor Vehicles and Equipment
2. Petroleum Refining
3. Electronic Components and Accessories
4. Plastics
Scope of the Plastics Industry
United States
▪ The U.S. plastics industry employed more than 1.4 million people.
▪ Another 772,000 persons were employed by upstream industries
that supplied the plastics industry.
▪ Total of 2.2 million workers – about 2 percent of the U.S. workforce.

20. Energy Resources & Plastics

21. EFFECT OF PLASTICS
ON
ENVIRONMENT!!!

22. PLASTIC’S ADVERSE EFFECTS ON OUR
ENVIRONMENT
Plastics pollute beaches & oceans
Garbage has been discarded into the oceans for as long as humans have sailed
the seven seas or lived on seashores or near waterways flowing into the sea.
Since the 1940s, plastic use has increased dramatically, resulting in a huge
quantity of nearly indestructible, lightweight material floating in the oceans and
eventually deposited on beaches worldwide.

23. Plastic bags litter the landscape
Once they are used, most plastic bags go into landfill, or rubbish tips. Each
year more and more plastic bags are ending up littering the environment.
Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways,
parks, beaches, and streets. And, if they are burnt, they infuse the air with
toxic fumes.

24. Plastic bags kill animals
About 100,000 animals such as dolphins, turtles whales, penguins are killed every
year due to plastic bags. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food,
and therefore die. And worse, the ingested plastic bag remains intact even after the
death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies around in the landscape where
another victim may ingest it.

25. Sea turtles are affected by plastic pollution. Some species are consumers
of jelly fish, but often mistake plastic bags for their natural prey. This
plastic debris can kill the sea turtle by obstructing the oesophagus.So too
are whales; large amounts of plastics have been found in the stomachs
of beached whales. In June 2018, more than 80 plastic bags were found
inside a dying pilot whale that washed up on the shores of Thailand

26. Effects of plastics on bird
Plastic pollution does not only affect animals that live solely in
oceans. Seabirds are also greatly affected. In 2004, it was estimated
that gulls in the North Sea had an average of thirty pieces of plastic in their
stomachs. Seabirds often mistake trash floating on the ocean's surface as
prey. Their food sources often has already ingested plastic debris, thus
transferring the plastic from prey to predator. Ingested trash can obstruct and
physically damage a bird's digestive system, reducing its digestive ability and
can lead to malnutrition, starvation, and death. Toxic chemicals
called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) also become concentrated on the
surface of plastics at sea and are released after seabirds eat them. These
chemicals can accumulate in body tissues and have serious lethal effects on a
bird's reproductive ability, immune system, and hormone balance. Floating
plastic debris can produce ulcers, infections and lead to death. Marine plastic
pollution can even reach birds that have never been at the sea. Parents may
accidentally feed their nestlings plastic, mistaking it for food. Seabird chicks
are the most vulnerable to plastic ingestion since they can't vomit up their
food like the adult seabirds.

27. Effect of plastics on human
Due to the use of chemical additives during plastic production, plastics have
potentially harmful effects that could prove to be carcinogenic or
promote endocrine disruption. Some of the additives are used
as phthalate plasticizers and brominated flame retardants.
Through biomonitoring, chemicals in plastics, such as BPA and phthalates, have
been identified in the human population. Humans can be exposed to these
chemicals through the nose, mouth, or skin. Although the level of exposure
varies depending on age and geography, most humans experience simultaneous
exposure to many of these chemicals. Average levels of daily exposure are below
the levels deemed to be unsafe, but more research needs to be done on the
effects of low dose exposure on humans. A lot is unknown on how severely
humans are physically affected by these chemicals. Some of the chemicals used
in plastic production can cause dermatitis upon contact with human skin. In
many plastics, these toxic chemicals are only used in trace amounts, but
significant testing is often required to ensure that the toxic elements are
contained within the plastic by inert material or polymer.

28. Clinical significance
Due to the pervasiveness of plastic products, most of the human population is
constantly exposed to the chemical components of plastics. 95% of adults in the
United States have had detectable levels of BPA in their urine. Exposure to
chemicals such as BPA have been correlated with disruptions in fertility,
reproduction, sexual maturation, and other health effects.
Specific phthalates have also resulted in similar biological effects.
Thyroid hormone axis
Bisphenol A affects gene expression related to the thyroid hormone axis, which
affects biological functions such as metabolism and development. BPA can
decrease thyroid hormone receptor (TR) activity by increasing TR transcriptional
corepressor activity. This then decreases the level of thyroid hormone binding
proteins that bind to triiodothyronine. By affecting the thyroid hormone axis,
BPA expoure can lead to hypothyroidism.
Sex hormones
BPA can disrupt normal, physiological levels of sex hormones. It does this by
binding to globulins that normally bind to sex hormones such
as androgens and estrogens, leading to the disruption of the balance between
the two. BPA can also affect the metabolism or the catabolism of sex hormones.
It often acts as an antiandrogen or as an estrogen, which can cause disruptions in
gonadal development and sperm production.

29. Plastic bags are
non-biodegradable
And one of the worst environmental effects of plastic bags is that they
are non-biodegradable. The decomposition of plastic bags takes about
1000 years.

30. Plastic’s Effect On Human Life
Plastic plays the villain right from the stage of its production. The major
chemicals that go into the making of plastic are highly toxic and pose serious
threat to living beings of all species on earth.
Some of the constituents of plastic such as benzene are known to cause cancer. Plastic
resins themselves are flammable and have contributed considerably to several
accidents worldwide.

31. Once plastic is produced, the harm is done once and
for all. Plastic defies any kind of attempt at disposal
– be it through recycling, burning, or landfillingWhen you recycle a hazard, you create a hazard.
Recycling of plastic is associated with skin and respiratory problems,
resulting from exposure to and inhalation of toxic fumes, especially
hydrocarbons and residues released during the process.

32. MEASURES
Single-use plastic bags have become such a ubiquitous way of life that it
seems as if we simply cannot do without them. However, if we have the
will, we can start reducing their use in small ways.
A tote bag can make a good substitute for holding the shopping. You can
keep the bag with the cashier, and then put your purchases into it
instead of the usual plastic bag.

33. MEASURES
Recycling the plastic bags you already have is another good idea. These can
come into use for various purposes, like holding your garbage, instead of
purchasing new ones.
While governments may be working out ways to lessen the impact of plastic
bags on the environment, however, each of us should shoulder some of
the responsibility for this problem, which ultimately harms us.

34. Percentage that can be
recycled
❑About 7% of all household waste is plastic.
❑ Annually, 3 million tonnes of plastic rubbish are produced.
❑ 57% of litter found on beaches is plastic.
❑ In 2001 only 7% of all plastic was recycled.

35. Waste Tyres
➢The number of motorcar waste tyres
generated annually was estimated to be 8.2
million or approximately 57,391 tonnes.
➢Landfill- as the easiest way of disposing the
waste.
➢Other industry users collect waste tyres for
retreading, rubber reclaim and shredding.

36. Tyre Waste
Examples of use are: Tiles and tile adhesives, mixing with asphalt, sports
surfaces, carpet underlay, noise and vibration insulation, playgrounds
and matting.

37. Recycling plastic uses less water and energy resources than in producing
new plastics, and produces fewer greenhouse gases.
This is because the polymer chains become damaged or contaminated with
food or other types of plastic.
What is the effect of recycling plastics?
One problem with
recycling, however, is that
is reduces the strength
and versatility of the
plastic over time.

38. Biodegradable plastics are increasingly being
used in carrier bags, bin bags and food
packaging.
One of the problems with traditional plastics is that they do not break down
when thrown away.
Biodegradable plastics are plastics that can
be broken down. They are converted into
carbon dioxide, water and minerals by micro-
organisms.
Biodegradable plastics, such as polylactide, are plant-based polymers. They
are often made from starch that has been modified to become more stable.
What are biodegradable plastics?

39. Strategies to Develop Biodegradable Polymers
• Green Technol. in Extracting Natural Polymers
• Natural Polymers Like Extrudable Starch
• Natural Polymers With Chemical Modifications
eg. Cellulose acetate
• Semi-Synthetic Copolymers
Fillers (first generation, 1960’s), Composites
& Grafts (second generation, 1970’s)
• Improving Currently Used Plastics
Better Additives; Chemically-linked Additives
(third generation, 1980’s, 1990’s)
• New Generation of Synthetic Polymers
eg. Poly(lactic acids), PHA’s, various new
copolymers, new Natural Polymer Based,
(fourth generation, 1990’s, 2000+)

40. Applicationsof Waste Plastics
From To
Milk pouches Carry bags
Packaging film, carry bags Waterproof sheets for
housing
Footwear, plastic bottles Footwear
Buckets, crates, luggage Buckets, luggage
PP film, thermoware, tooth
brush, pens
Combs, pens, toys,
houseware,
Cement bags Thin ropes
Battery boxes, industrial
products, thermoware
Luggage, industrial products
Cups, TV cabinets,
cassettes
Cassettes, cassette covers,
novelty items

41. Our planet is drowning in plastic pollution

42. Pressure food suppliers to
use non-plastic packaging
Bring your own shopping
bags to the supermarket

43. Refuse plastic cutlery and straws Pick up any plastic you see when you’re
out walking

44. Tell your local officials that you support a ban on single-use plastic bags