Over the last 50 years, plastics have become an integral part of our day-t-
-day life. They seem to be the material of choice, being inexpensive, lightweight,
resistant to chemicals, flexible, and mouldable. Over 350 million metric tons of plastics
are produced the worldwide and about 50% are discarded within the first year of usage.
With plastics being non-biodegradable, their safe disposal is a major challenge.
Although one can argue that it is recyclable, its indiscriminate disposal clogs up our
rivers, oceans, and land. Some of the chemical components of plastics such as
plasticizers, stabilizers, monomers, and colourants are known to leach out from the
finished plastics into the stored commodity. They can also be released during various
recycling processes. In the present study, undergraduate students were involved in
analysing a few representative samples for the estimation of the overall leaching of
plastic constituents and heavy metals into food and drinking water. Toxic effects of
heavy metals, phthalates and BPA, probable mechanism of toxicity, and some medical
strategies have been discussed. Findings from a survey carried out by the students to
gauge awareness about leaching in plastics, segregation, and disposal of plastic wastes
practised by the community are presented. This experiential learning is aimed at
inculcating behavioural change about the judicious usage and proper waste disposal of
plastics.
Keywords: BPA, Heavy metals, Judicious usage, Leaching, Medical strategies,
Phthalates, Safety Evaluation, Toxicity.
