Plastics by Imari Walker-Franklin

Author:Imari Walker-Franklin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIT Press

Environmental Quality

Plastics and their associated chemicals introduce an array of contaminants to environmental matrices like water, soil, and air, and call into question their safety. Ecological quality of air, water, or soil is defined as a chemical (PH, dissolved oxygen, etc.), physical, and biological (algae, phytoplankton, etc.) measurement of suitability for a particular use. Suitability includes clean water for drinking, air for breathing, or soil for plant growth. Safe conditions include clean air for birds to fly in, water for organisms to live in, and air and water for agriculture. An example of regulation for water quality in the United States can be seen in the elimination of DDT, which was thinning eggshells in birds, and the limitation on mercury use after heavy mortality of fish and birds in the water. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency reframed air quality standards after intense acid rains in the northeastern United States. Evidence has shown the physical and toxicological impacts of plastic not only have the potential to impact an individual but entire food webs. However, there is currently no benchmark for the amount of plastic and microplastics or polymer-associated chemicals allowed in air or water, even though some government agencies are fervently working to address this.

Furthermore, research is still early in quantifying the scale of pollution of these contaminants in the environment and determining the systemic consequences of these quantities of plastic. Therefore, it has been difficult for policymakers to decide how to determine risk and limitations adequate to limit plastic pollution. And while large-scale impacts have not been entirely resolved, there is enough urgency for research and policy changes to be implemented to protect the environment.

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