Plastics: A brief review of its disasters and degradation techniques

Abstract

This review article focuses on the growth of Platic industry, the disasters caused by it and an overview of degradation mechanisms. Plastics being considered the benign substances came into headlines when their presence was first detected in the food chain. These plastics can persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Degrading these persistant pollutant is of major concern for many scientists across the globe. Incinerating plastics is one option but it has many environmental consequences. Besides, bioremediation is the process that many scientists are interested in, as different microbes has the ability to degrade plastics at different rates. Research is needed to come up with the economical and eco-friendly approaches, fast enough to degrade tons of plastic with minimum effect on the environment. Major concern is not only degrading plastics but also minimizing its use and coming up with alternatives that are not only eco-friendly but also cost effective.