Tag: #hazards

Single Use Plastics

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Single Use plastics are goods that are made primarily from fossil fuel based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed off right after use, often in mere minutes. Single use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and service ware such as bottles, wrappers, straws and bags.

Plastic is among the most popular and important material used in the modern world. But due to the fact that it is non biodegradable, it is essential that it is prevented, recycled and recovered.

We produce 300million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single use items. That is nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste. Although single use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, it is the water bodies which suffer even more. Litter can be the first stage in a waste stream thatenters waterways as plastics tossed on the street are washed away byrain or travel via storm drains into rivers and streams. Ten of the rivers carry 93% of the world’s totalampunt of plastic that enters the oceans via rivers each year. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats.

Not only does banning single use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reducesdemand for plastic production that contributes to global climate change. These bans on single use plastic have many cultural effects too. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. The prevention action can include strategy for plastics in a circular economy, mandatory fee on single use place bags, phase out of single use bags.

The Central Government of India issued guidelines to states, asking them to ban the use of single use plastics effective from July1, 2022.

Some goals to keep in mind:

  • By 2030, only reusable or recyclable plastic packaging should be used,
  • 75% recycling of packaging waste should be achieved,
  • A binding agreement should be issued to reduce landfill to less that 10% of MSW,
  • Plans to coordinate beach cleanups.

These are a few goals that the states as well as the people should focus on while undergoing the ban of single use plastics. Such plastics give rise to numerous health as well as environmental hazards. Thus, it should be our prime responsibility for change our habits and go for the healthier options both for ourselves as well the environment.

PRESENCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN ENVIRONMENT; A RISING CONCERN

Microplastics have become one of the greatest threats to the entire planet. Their presence has been identified from arctic snow to alpine soil in the deepest trenches of oceans. Scientists are yet to find out the impacts of microplastics in the human body but have recognized their intake by people both directly and indirectly through the food they have, the water they drink and the air they breathe.

Instead of biodegradation, plastic undergoes physical breakdown resulting in the formation of particles smaller than 5mm in size known as microplastics and particles having a diameter less than 0.001mm known as nanoplastics. Microplastics are usually discarded while washing synthetic clothes, vehicle tyres and emissions of plastic pellets from industries.

The existence of microplastics in the marine sediments and bottom-living creatures of the sea is a serious indication of the potential environmental hazards due to pollution. Once ingested by small creatures, the microplastics move through the food chain affecting the entire biodiversity and the exposure of wildlife to tiny particles of plastics can lead to infertility, inflammation, cancer etc. Studies on marine animals have reported an increasingly alarming rate of microplastics in every one of 50 marine mammals washed up on the shores. They have also been found in insects and birds. Apart from the identified health impacts on animals and marine life, very little is known about its health effects on humans.

The omnipresence of plastic in our environment is equally treacherous to humans even though its consequences are yet to be identified. Analysis of bottled drinking water across the globe conducted by WHO in 2018 has detected the potential risks of microplastic in 90% of the world’s most popular bottled water brands.

The studies conducted by WWF in 2019 shows that the average human eats around 2000 microplastics weakly and 90% of rainwater samples collected from various regions contain a considerable amount of microplastic in it. 

Reports on recent research conducted on deceased human organs have discovered the traces of numerous types of plastic in almost all major organs including kidney, lungs, liver etc and it also suggests that microplastics can persist in the human body. These harmful chemicals in plastic materials can cause adverse health imbalances including cancer, birth defects, developmental and reproductive issues, endocrine disruption, and compromised immunity.

The most shocking fact is that the microplastics have made their way into the human body, even in the placenta of several unborn children. Long term health hazards caused by extremely small particles of plastic in the placenta of the babies and their mothers is a serious concern. These particles are likely to have been consumed or breathed in by mothers that could carry chemicals that may upset the foetus’s developing immune system.

The inventions humans have made through the overexploitation of nature without taking the harmful effects into consideration now seems to bite back at them one by one as the maker of plastic seems to be made of plastic. It’s high time for us to respect nature and live within its bounds.

HACCP

“Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points”.
It is basically a preventive approach to food safety which is used to find and then eliminate the biological, chemical and physical hazards which may or may not be there in production processes and can cause the final products to be unsafe and unhealthy for human consumption. These are certain principles which have been designed by the government to ensure the food quality and safety. It is a various step process that is followed in any food industry.
The HACCP system is followed at each and every level of food chain i.e. in food production and preparation processes which also includes packaging, distribution and even consumption by the consumer. It is therefore known as FARM-TO-TABLE process.
This technique was originated by NASA in the 1960s and US food and drug administration gave a particular definition to this. The main objectives of the HACCP system are –
• Prevention of food-borne diseases so that no one is affected after the consumption of food.
• This system mainly focuses on quality assurance unit i.e. maintains the quality of the food.
• HACCP system tends to reduce the cost of analysis of food.
• It also reduces the losses which occur due to product recall.
• And finally it helps in protecting the reputation of government.

HOW TO CONDUCT A HACCP PLAN??????
Conducting a HACCP plan is a 5 step process as mentioned below –

  1. Collection of HACCP resources and assembling of HACCP team which will look into the all steps.
  2. Description of the product by the team and deciding its method of distribution.
  3. Developing a complete list of ingredients and raw materials which are to be used in the production of the final product.
  4. Developing a flow diagram of the process i.e. how the product will be manufactured, its complete process.
  5. Meeting the requirements for the product to be manufactured safely.

PRINCIPLES OF HACCP
There are 7 main principles of conducting successfully a HACCP plan.

  1. To conduct a hazard analysis is the first step in which all the potential physical, chemical as well as biological hazards in the production of the product are identified.
  2. To determine all the critical control points (CCPs). At this step, all the control measures are thought to be applied. Basically at this step, those points are identified where control measures can be applied for the safety. This step is very essential to eliminate hazards completely from the product.
  3. To establish critical limits is the next step i.e. in this step the control measures are actually applied and also the maximum and minimum limits are set for the preventive measures. To each point found in the last step, a critical limit is applied. These limits assure the food safety.
  4. To establish monitoring procedures is the next step in which all the planning which was done yet is monitored and it should be done on a regular basis. This step assures that there is no mishandling of any procedure of the complete plan.
  5. To establish corrective actions is the next step in which appropriate correct actions are taken if after monitoring it is observed that the critical limits are not met. The corrective actions for each point and limit are already pre-decided.
  6. To establish verification procedures is the next and most important step in which the complete HACCP plan is validated. The complete verification of the plan is required to assure that the precautions and preventions are taken carefully.
  7. To maintain record keeping and documentation procedures is the final step in which the record is maintained and established which must be done regularly. It is necessary for validation procedures.