Plastics and the Environment [Vol. 47] / edited by R M Harrison, R E Hester.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Plastic has become a ubiquitous part of modern life. A cheap, lightweight material, it is used in everything from food packaging to consumer electronics and microbeads in cosmetic products. However, we are becoming increasingly aware of the problems our reliance on plastic is causing in the environment. For example, recent campaigns have highlighted the build-up of microbeads in the marine environment and the damage this is doing to wildlife, and the problem of marine litter, often in very remote locations. There are also concerns over exposure to plasticisers and their possible consequences for health.

The plastics industry is under increasing pressure, not only from the government and environmental groups, but also from consumers, to improve the environmental impact of their products.

This book presents an introduction to the uses of plastics and an overview of how they interact with the environment. It is a valuable resource for students studying environmental science as well as researchers working in the plastics industry, and policy makers and regulators concerned with waste disposal and environmental planning and conservation.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Editors (p. xiii)
• List of Contributors (p. xv)
• The Nature of Plastics and Their Societal Usage (p. 1)
• 1 Plastics in a Nutshell (p. 1)
• 1.1 The History of Plastics (p. 2)
• 2 How Is Plastic Made? (p. 5)
• 2.1 The Different Kinds of Plastics (p. 6)
• 3 Usage of Plastics in Our Daily Lives (p. 10)
• 3.1 Packaging (p. 10)
• 3.2 Building and Construction (p. 13)
• 3.3 Transportation (p. 14)
• 3.4 Electrical and Electronic (p. 15)
• 3.5 Agriculture (p. 15)
• 3.6 Medical and Health (p. 16)
• 3.7 Sport, Leisure and Design (p. 17)
• 3.8 Renewable Energies (p. 19)
• References (p. 19)
• Plastic in Marine Litter (p. 21)
• 1 Introduction (p. 22)
• 2 Plastic in Marine Litter (p. 22)
• 3 Sources of Plastic (p. 24)
• 3.1 Sources of Macroplastics (p. 24)
• 3.2 Sources of Microplastics (p. 25)
• 4 Occurrence of Plastics in the Marine Environment (p. 26)
• 4.1 Water Bodies (p. 26)
• 4.2 Beaches, Sediments and Shorelines (p. 29)
• 5 Fate of Plastic Debris in the Marine Environment (p. 31)
• 6 Physical Effects on Organisms (p. 33)
• 6.1 Plastic Ingestion (p. 33)
• 6.2 Plastic Entanglement (p. 36)
• 7 Chemical Effects on Organisms (p. 39)
• 8 Recommendations (p. 40)
• 9 Conclusion (p. 42)
• Acknowledgements (p. 42)
• References (p. 43)
• Microplastics in the Environment (p. 60)
• 1 Introduction (p. 61)
• 2 Size Classifications of Plastic (p. 62)
• 3 Sources of Microplastics (p. 62)
• 4 Distribution and Abundance (p. 65)
• 5 Impacts (p. 68)
• 6 Solutions (p. 73)
• 7 Conclusions (p. 75)
• References (p. 75)
• Nanoplastics in the Environment (p. 82)
• 1 Introduction (p. 83)
• 2 Defining Nanoplastics and Ascertaining Their Sources (p. 85)
• 3 Fate of Nanoplastics (p. 86)
• 4 Effects of Nanoplastics (p. 94)
• 5 Challenges (p. 98)
• 6 Conclusions (p. 99)
• Acknowledgements (p. 100)
• References (p. 100)
• Plasticisers and Their Impact on Wildlife (p. 106)
• 1 Introduction (p. 107)
• 1.1 Plasticisers (p. 107)
• 2 Environmental Exposures (p. 111)
• 2.1 Phthalates (p. 111)
• 2.2 Bisphenol A and PBDEs (p. 114)
• 3 Effects in Wildlife (p. 115)
• 3.1 Phthalates (p. 115)
• 3.2 Bisphenol A and PBDEs (p. 120)
• 4 Conclusions (p. 121)
• References (p. 122)
• Plastics Additives and Human Health: A Case Study of Bisphenol A (BPA) (p. 131)
• 1 Introduction (p. 132)
• 1.1 Plastics and Their Additives (p. 133)
• 1.2 Migration of Chemical Substances Out of Plastics (p. 133)
• 1.3 Hazard Versus Risk (p. 135)
• 1.4 Human Biomonitoring (p. 136)
• 2 A Case Study of BPA (p. 137)
• 2.1 BPA: an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (p. 137)
• 2.2 Routes of Exposure and Potential Interventions (p. 138)
• 2.3 Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Effect (p. 139)
• 2.4 ESRRA and BPA (p. 140)
• 2.5 Expression of ESRRA In Vitro Following Exposure to BPA (p. 141)
• 2.6 Expression of ESRRA In Vivo Following Dietary Intervention to Reduce BPA Exposure (p. 142)
• 2.7 Are There Physiological Implications for Changes in the Expression of ESSRA Isoforms? (p. 145)
• 3 Conclusions and Future Perspectives (p. 148)
• Acknowledgements (p. 149)
• References (p. 149)
• Plastics Recycling (p. 156)
• 1 Plastic Production, Recycling and Other Methods of Disposal (p. 157)
• 2 Challenges in the Recycling of Plastics (p. 163)
• 3 Recycling Post-consumer High Density Polyethylene to Meet Food Grade Applications (p. 166)
• 4 Recycling Post-consumer PP to Meet Food Grade Applications (p. 166)
• 5 Black Plastics (p. 171)
• 6 Fluorescent Markers for Sorting Packaging (p. 172)
• References (p. 175)
• Plastics, the Environment and Society: Current Consensus and Future Directions (p. 177)
• 1 Plastics as Materials (p. 178)
• 2 Plastics as Waste and Litter (p. 178)
• 3 Environmental Impacts of Plastics (p. 179)
• 4 Socio-economic Impacts of Plastics (p. 180)
• 5 Solutions and Remaining Challenges (p. 181)
• References (p. 185)
• Subject Index (p. 188)