Submitted by Submitted to:

Pritam Budhathoki Department Of Chemistry

Class : 11(M15) HOD :

Roll No: 32 Kabindra Subedi

Symbol No. 792357

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 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my special gratitude to my teacher Asmita Shrestha as well as our
prinicipal Mr Nagdnera Aryal who gave me the golden opportunity to do the wonderful
project on the topic “Study use and adverse effect of plastics on environment” which also
helped me doing a lot of research and I came to know about so many new things I am really
thankful to them.

And, I would also like to thank my family and friends for being supportive throughout the
journey and being patient and believing in me. This could not have been possible If they were
not with me the whole time. They helped me to finalize the project too.

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 APPROVAL

This project work entitled “Study of use and adverse effect of plastics on environment”
by MR Pritam Budhathoki of KMC College prepared under the supervision of Asmita
Shrestha Ma’am submitted of the parital fulfillment of chemistry grade XI has been
submitted and it has been accepted for the approval.

Supervisor HOD : Kabibdra subedi

Name: Asmita Shrestha

Signature Signature

Department of Chemistry

Kathmandu Model College,Bagbazaar

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 RECOMMENDATION

This project entitled “Study of use and adverse effect of plastics on environment” by MR.
Pritam budhathoki of KMC,Bagbazaar has been prepared under the supervision of “Asmita
Shrestha ”Ma’am for the project work of chemistry grade XI. I, therefore, recommend this
project work report for the evaluation.

Supervisor

Name: Asmita Shrestha

Signature:……………………..

Department of chemistry

KMC College, Bagbazaar

Date……………………………..

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project work “Study of use and adverse effect of plastics on
environment” submitted to the Department of chemistry of Kathmandu Model College in the
form of hard copy of project work which has done under the supervision of Asmita Shrestha
Ma’am and is submitted for the partial fulfillment of chemistry grade 11.

Your obedient student

Pritam Budhathoki
Signature

College : KMC, Bagbazaar

Date:

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 PREFACE

It gives me an immense pleasure to announce completion of project work entitled “Study

of use and adverse effect of plastics on environment”

The topics have been given us by the Department of Chemistry, Kathmandu Model
College, Bagbazaar. This project was designed to make student skillfull on the particular
given topics.

I believe that this project helped me a lot in various ways.

During the preparation of the project work entitled “Study of use and adverse effect of
plastics on environment” done by Mr. Pritam Budhathoki under the supervision of Asmita
Shrestha. This project was done with full hard work, dedication and passion. I learned new
information which is helping me now and will help me further in future. I would like to
express my gratitude toward Department of Chemistry and especially for my supervisor.

I am really grateful to my family and my friend(colleagues) for helping me throughout

this project work. This project would not have been completed if they were not with me
throughout the time with their patience and support while writing it.

Finally, I would like to take responsibility for errors on this project work, and I would be
indebted it they are pointed out. As Constructive criticism and suggestions are for the
improvement of the project work so I would be open to know either by our respectful
teacher ,my fellow friends(colleagues) or the readers.

Author
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 Pritam Budhathoki

Study of use and adverse effects of plastics on the environment.

Introduction of Plastics

Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic material that use polymers as a
main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be molded, extruded or
pressed into solid objects of various shapes. Plastics have wide range of other properties such
as being lightweight, durable, flexible and cheap. This kind of properties has led us to
widespread use of plastics. They are typically made through the human industrial systems.
Most modern plastics are derived from fossil fuel-based chemicals like natural gas or
petroleum; however, recent industrial methods use variants made from renewable materials
such as corn or cotton derivatives.

Estimated, 9.2 billion tons of plastics have been made between 1950-2017. According to
research, it is estimated that by 2050 global plastic production will reach over 1,100 million
tons.

Plastics has changed or daily life. We are involved with plastics made products in various
ways. Plastics plays an important role in our life. Plastics are widely used in our daily life.
Plastics makes our life easier and better. They are composed of network if molecular
monomers bond together to form macromolecules of infinite use in human society. Day by
day people are becoming more dependent on the use of plastics because of their various
beneficial features.

Despite it playing an important role in human life, it has a vast negative impact on the
environment and mother nature itself. The durability of plastics and their potential for diverse
applications, there includes some adverse characters to such as plastic pollution, causing
irregular management of garbage due to high number, infertility of soil, toxic chemicals in
plastics inventing new diseases and many more.

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 CATEGORIES OF PLASTICS
For the further better study and research of plastics, Plastics have been classified into 7
different types. They are listed below :

Type 1 POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE OR STOMACH PLASTIC :

It is the most common thermoplastics polymer resin of the polyester family and is used
in fibers for clothing, ccontainers for liquids and foods, and thermoforming for
manufacturing, and in combination with glass fibre for engineering resins.Its chemical
formula is (C10H8O4)n Apart from this, stomach plastics are used to make different utensils or
containers used for various types of juice, soft drinks, butter, salad dressing, vegetable oil,
mouthwash, cosmetics etc.

TYPE 2 HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE :

High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic polymer made from

petroleum. As one of the most versatile plastic materials around, HDPE plastic is used in a
wide variety of applications, including plastic bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, bleach
bottles etc. It has the general formula (C2H4)n. PEHD (polyethylene high density), alkathene,
and polythene are all terms for high-density polyethylene. During the treatment of a corona
patient, you've probably seen doctors donning a special disposable outfit. You'll be surprised
to learn that one of the major materials in those special disposable suits is high-density
polyethylene or HDPE.

TYPE 3 PLASTICS CONTAINERS :

Plastic container also known as Polyvinyl chloride(PVC), this is very dangerous and one
of the least recyclable plastics. Still plastic number 3 is as widely spread as PET plastic. PVC
recycle number means that the item is strong and elastic due to softening chemicals ,
phthalates. It has the following chemical formula: CH2=CHCL . They are a type of ‘heat-
resistant’ polymer. It contains many toxic chemical substances such as BPA, thalates, led,
dioxin, carter, and cadmium.

They are usually harmful to human body as they contain harmful and toxic chemicals as
per the resource.

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Type 4 LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE :

It is a type of ‘heat-resistant’ polymer made of type 4 plastic petroleum, which can be

both transparent and opaque. They are made from the monomer ethylene. It was the first
grade of polyethylene, produced in 1933 by Imperial Chemical Industries(ICI) using a high-
pressure process via free radical polymerization. LDPE is terminologically composed of two
terms monomer meaning single part and ethylene which is a hydrocarbon with the formula
C2H4.

TYPE 5 POLYPROPYLENE

Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic “addition polymer” made from the combination of

propylene monomers. It is used in a variety of applications to include packaging for
consumer products, plastics part for consumer products, plastic parts for various industries
including the automotive industry, special devices like living hinges and textiles. Its chemical
formula is (C3H6)n . It is susceptible to UV degradation. It has poor resistance to chlorinated
solvents and aromatics. It is highly flammable. It is known to be difficult to paint as it has
poor bonding properties. But, they are very stronger and heavier than polyethylene.

TYPE 6 POLYSTYRENE :

Polystyrene is one type of petroleum-based plastics. ‘Benzene’ is used in the preparation

of polystyrene, which is known as a carcinogen for the human body. It is widely use in
making packaging materials and insulating. Its chemical formula is (C8H8)n. It is made from
the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from
petroleum. As per the research, At room temperature, PS is normally solid thermoplastic but
can be melted at higher temperature for moulding or extrusion, then resolidified. They are
brittle and have poor chemical resistance especially to organics. They are also highly
flammable. They are hazardous substance.

TYPE 7 POLYCARBONATE :

Polycarbonate are a group of thermoplastics containing carbonate groups in their

containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. They are optically transparent. It is
made of BPA(Bisphenol A). BPA helps to make it hard plastic items such as baby bottles, re-
usable water bottles, food containers, and others storage containers. Its chemical formula is
C15H16O2. The beverage or food stores in them, the BPA is released from the container. They
are specially used to make shatterproof windows, lightweight eyeglass lenses. Polycarbonate
gets its name from the carbonate groups in its backbone chain.

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 USES OF PLASTICS IN HUMAN LIFE

Plastics has changed our everyday life. We are involved in plastics made products in
various ways. Plastics plays an important role in our life Plastics are widely use everywhere
in our life. It makes our life easier and better. Day by day people are becoming more
dependent on plastics because of their versatility, flexibility and durability so on.

Plastic is used across almost every sector, including to produce packaging, in building
and construction, in textiles, consumer products, transportation, electrical and electronics and
industrial machinery. The use of plastics allows us to live better lives while also contributing
to sustainability. Plastics actually help protect the environment by reducing waste, saving
energy in our homes, reducing vehicle weight and thus less greenhouse gas emissions from
using fuel, and so much more.

Many things around us are made of Plastics. For example Polythene, toys, bags, chairs,
tables, boxes etc. There are some well-known Plastics around us. They are polypropylene
(chair, tables etc), polystyrene(Plastic spoons & forks, cups etc), polyamide (usually known
as nylon) used in toothbrushes, car parts etc.

In short, Uses of Plastics are given below in point :

 Plastics are used to manufacture Aircrafts and its parts. It is used as it is lighter and
helps aircraft in various ways.
 They are also used to Sportswear as they are cheaper and more compatible to use and
more durable and flexible.
 As per the research, 50% of the car is made by the plastics by volume. However, its
only around 10% plastics by weight. That’s why they play crucial role in the making
of cars and other automobile.
 Cutlery and Kitchenware: Those who appreciate a good picnic or who go camping
will be acqauinted with plastic cutlery and plastic tableware nowadays most of the
kitchenware are made from plastic materials as they are cheap and very durable.
 Computers : Have you heard computers can be recycles? Most of the innards of a
computer and computer fittings are made of plastics and can be safely discarded off
recycled for repurpose. Sadly, The kinds of plastics used in computers bring about
several environmental harms that need to be spoken about for electronics recycling
around the world.

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 You may be shock to hear that most of sports ball such as tennis ball, cricket ball, golf
balls, footballs are made from plastics as they are strong and easy to make. They can
be reformed into solids and they are very versatile to use too.

Adverse effect of Plastics on the environment

 Despite of lots of use of plastics in our daily life, There are adverse effect of it on the
environment and human life too. As we all know, During the production of plastics
mostly there is involve of harmful and toxic chemical substance too. Those poisonous
chemicals adversely effect the environment and human life. So, It has a lot of
disadvantages in compare to its advantageous.
 Plastic pollution is everywhere, not just in the oceans. There is plastic, a lot of plastic,
in the Himalayas and the Sahara. There is even plastic on Mars, left by the Curiosity
Rover. The average person in a modern society breathes in and drinks hundreds of
tiny particles of plastic every day. Plastic also pollutes beyond just being littered. In
the process of making it, or when the chemicals used to make it seep out, plastic
releases toxins into the environment. These chemicals are now in the blood of nearly
every person on Earth, even the unborn. Some are known or suspected of causing a
broad range of health problems including birth defects and brain damage.
 As plastic does not dissolve, it remains in the water thereby hampering its purity. This
means we won't be left with clean water in the coming years. Furthermore, plastic
pollutes our land as well. When humans dump Plastic waste into landfills, the soil gets
damaged. And It makes the soil polluted causing soil pollution. It creates
environmental problems like :- Soil Pollution, Water Pollution, Air Pollution And
especially increasing the number of transfer of diseases.
 The major impact of plastic bags on the environment is that it takes many years to
for them to decompose. In addition, toxic substances are released into the soil when
plastic bags perish under sunlight and, if plastic bags are burned, they release a toxic
substance into the air causing ambient air pollution.
 Typically, plastics are created from non-renewable resources
While plastic initial materials originated from plant-based fibres, most of the products
today produced are based on fossil fuels. It is usually petroleum, but natural gas can
also be used to produce this product. About 4% of these fuels continue to manufacture
new goods directly into the plastics sector. If you look at tamount of resources used
during the process of refinement and the predicted increase in demand, the cost of

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 plastics to fossil fuels might approach 20% in the next decade.This is the main
disadvantage of plastic.
 The pollution in the world's waters is predominantly plastic
Plastic comprises up to 80% of all marine waste. This problem is caused by marine
and terrestrial sources, which often build up in broad open areas where tides come
together. The problem concerns us finding rubbish on land, on beaches and even in
fresh water sources. Stirrers, bottles, cables, food wrappers and plastic straws are some
of the items that are most common. At a cost of $5 per kg, plastic pollution is removed
from sea surface water, while the reutilization of this product is only $0.30. This is
why the efforts to clean up marine environments are spearheaded by non-profitable
agencies. This is another disadvantage of plastic.

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 Life cycle of plastics and its impact on Environment and Surrounding

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

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 REFERENCES

https://humanjourney.us/our-plastic-earth/?
gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuuSf8euN_QIVr5lmAh2n7AiREAAYAyAAEgLhevD_BwE

https://www.toppr.com/guides/essays/plastic-pollution-essay/

https://school.careers360.com/chemistry/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-plastic-topic-
pge

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