Plastic and Microplastic Wastes as Environmental Toxicants

Plastics and microplastics contribute to a large part of the worldwide waste generated every day. The environmental accumulation of these non-biodegradable compounds due to the increased production, disposal, and human activities has become a widespread and rising concern across the world due to their negative consequences on various ecosystems. Toxic chemicals such as phthalates, brominated flame retardants, heavy metals, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, polychlorinated biphenyl ethers, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, phenanthrene, etc., are present in varieties of plastics used in the manufacturing of numerous consumable products like medical devices, food, and water packaging, etc. In addition to being found in and around urban regions, microplastics are increasingly being found in isolated habitats, such as arctic sea ice and snow, deep marine sediments, and remote alpine locations. Microplastics have been detected in aquatic and terrestrial organisms, as well as surface and groundwater where they also act as vectors for pollutants. They may enter the human body and release the absorbed pollutants, pathogens, and their constituents. This chapter focuses on the hazardous chemical constituents, and the detrimental effects of these constituents to air, water, soil, organisms, and human health.