Read the passage and answer the questions.
Plastic is man-made material that is produced from oil and gaseous raw materials. Plastic
cannot be destroyed. When burnt, it emits toxic gases, inhalation of which leads to lung
infections, respiratory problems and bronchitis. Thus, plastic becomes a major toxic hazard which taxes the environment. The pigments used for colouring plastic contaminate food causing food poisoning, kidney failure and bone abnormality, especially in children. Therefore, only certified food grade plastics should be used in the food industry. Plastics, if used excessively and not disposed of carefully, choke the drainage system making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies and bacteria. If allowed to become a part of the unattended garbage, it prevents the growth of plants and affects soil fertility and water percolation in the ground.
There are some good and bad plastics used in our daily life. Bad plastics are mostly polymers and polypropylene. They decompose and release hazardous substances. Polystyrene and vinyl chloride are also toxic. Plastics should not be used for products that come in contact with food.
Plastics can be a boon as they are cheap, durable, easy to maintain and clean and light in
weight. They also help reduce the use of non-renewable natural resources like metals. When used as durable goods, they have a life of decades. If disposed of properly, plastics are acceptable. The danger however lies in the indiscriminate use of cheap-quality hazardous and toxic plastics in packing and food industry, where they should be reduced, weeded out or used under strict legislation only. Monitoring of production, use and disposal of plastics is also necessary. The way to prevent environment and health problems caused by plastic waste is simply to avoid the generation of plastics in packaging industry and to produce fewer types of plastics. The need of the hour is to say ‘no’ to plastic bags and ‘yes’ to cloth , paper and jute bags as they save money, are recyclable and generate employment. We should discourage the use of plastics and try to disseminate this information.
Burning of plastic leads to the: