Plastics’ effects on air pollution:
Plastic are not directly released in the air as they are solids and usually litter soil and water. However, plastics degrade to form microplastics that can be swept up into the air and dispersed into the environment. These particles are then easily absorbed by plants and animals. For example, due to their small size, microplastics can be inhaled and may induce a wide range of health issues (Luo, 2018).
Moreover, disposal of plastics is often done through combustion and thus emmits various chemicals. The amount and variety of these products depends on the modernity and regulation of waste-to-energy plants. Generally speaking, however, incineration remains a major source of pollution as it releases toxic gases like dioxins, furans, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls into the atmosphere (Royte, 2019). Most waste products produced in incineration are toxic and contribute to high AQI levels. Both long and short term exposure to these waste products has severe consequences to human health, notably causing respiratory, cardiovascular, and neuropsychiatric diseases, irritation of the eyes, skin diseases, and cancer (Adel Ghorani-Azam, Bamdad Riahi-Zanjani, and Mahdi Balali-Mood, 2016).
Plastics’ effects on soil:
Surfaces of tiny fragments of plastic may carry disease-causing organisms and act as a vector for diseases in the environment. Chlorinated plastic (PVC, CPE,CPVC) can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources, and also the ecosystem. This can cause a range of potentially harmful effects on the species that drink the water.(Andrady, 2011； Andrady and Neal, 2009). Besides, when plastic particles break down, they gain new physical and chemical properties, increasing the risk that they will have a toxic effect on organisms. And the larger the number of potentially affected species and ecological functions, the more likely it is that toxic effects will occur. (PlasticsEurope, 2013)
Plastics’ effects on water:
On the one hand, microplastics have potential of absorbing chemical pollutants. It is used as additives during the polymer synthesis, or adsorbed directly from seawater. Besides, Pyrene adsorbed on microplastics was readily bioavailable for mussels. (Rios et al., 2007, Teuten et al., 2009, Engler, 2012)Different particles polymers, like polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, were shown to have a high sorption capacity for DDTs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hexachlorocyclohexane and chlorinated benzenes (Bakir et al., 2012, Lee et al., 2014).Additionally, adsorbing pyrene with a time and dose-dependent relationship.
On the other hand, microplastics through sewage into the food chain. It can even be found in tap water(Endo et al., 2005). Besides, between 80 percent and 90 percent of the plastic particles contained in sewage, persist in the sludge. Sewage sludge is often applied to fields as fertilizer, meaning that several thousand tons of microplastics end up in our soils each year. Like what mentioned above, it may pose a toxic risk to the organism.(Lobelle and Cunliffe, 2011)
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塑胶对空气污染的影响:
塑料不直接释放在空气中，因为它们是固体，通常被乱丢泥土和水。然而，塑料降解后会形成微塑料，这些微塑料可以被吹到空气中并分散到环境中。这些颗粒很容易被植物和动物吸收。例如，由于微塑料体积小，可以被吸入，可能会引发广泛的健康问题(Luo, 2018)。
此外，塑料的处理通常是通过燃烧来完成的，因此会产生各种化学物质。这些产品的数量和种类取决于废物转化能源工厂的现代化和监管。然而，一般来说，焚烧仍然是一个主要的污染源，因为它释放有毒气体，如二恶英，呋喃，汞和多氯联苯进入大气(罗伊特，2019)。
塑料对土壤的影响:
微小塑料碎片的表面可能携带致病微生物，并作为环境中疾病的媒介。氯化塑料(PVC、CPE、CPVC)会向周围土壤中释放有害化学物质，进而渗透到地下水或其他周边水源中，进而影响生态系统。这可能会对饮用这些水的物种造成一系列潜在的有害影响。(Andrady, 2011; Andrady Neal, 2009)。此外，当塑料颗粒分解时，它们获得了新的物理和化学特性，增加了它们对生物体产生有毒影响的风险。潜在受影响物种和生态功能的数量越多，就越有可能产生有毒影响。(PlasticsEurope, 2013)
塑料对水的影响:
一方面，微塑料具有吸收化学污染物的潜力。在聚合物合成过程中用作添加剂，或直接从海水中吸附。此外，吸附在微塑料上的芘对贻贝具有良好的生物利用价值。(Rios et al.， 2007, Teuten et al.， 2009, Engler, 2012)不同的颗粒聚合物，如聚氯乙烯、聚乙烯、聚丙烯、聚苯乙烯，对DDTs、多环芳烃(PAHs)、六氯环己烷和氯化苯具有较高的吸附能力(Bakir et al.， 2012, Lee et al.， 2014)。此外，吸附芘具有时间和剂量依赖关系。
另一方面，微塑料通过污水进入食物链。它甚至可以在自来水中找到(Endo et al.， 2005)。此外，污水中80%到90%的塑料颗粒留在污泥中。污泥通常被用作肥料，这意味着每年有几千吨的微塑料进入我们的土壤。就像上面提到的，它可能对机体构成毒性风险。(Lobelle and Cunliffe, 2011)