The Plastic Bag Issue: Historical Significance, Impact on Soil

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Plastic Bags
Plastic ban is becoming a trend across the globe with uptake even in countries within the African continent such as Kenya in Eastern Africa and Rwanda in the recent past (Carver). While some of the decisions have proved to be unpopular at first, it is the overall impact that the decisions have in the future. Plastic have been rated as one of the most common pollutant across many cities and most importantly, one that is negatively impacting the environment and the inhabitants (Bettas Ardisson et al.). Their relatively low prices of production makes them a popular choice for most of the sellers especially for wrapping goods. It is common for most of the supermarkets to give more than bag even where the customer is buying a few products. However these have been found to be very harmful to the environment and there is need to eradicate or at least reduce their production and use for the sustainable conservation of the environment. Given that plastic bags are not biodegradable, the have negative impacts on the environment, such as the marine, humans as well as terrestrial animals.
Historical Significance
Ironically while plastic bags are now a menace in the environment, there were as popular before the 60s. It was after the 1960s they became popular, relative to the introduction as an option for shopping baskets. They became quite popular after the 1980s (Kinhal). This was after they were discovered to be quite cheap to produce and as a result they became quite prolific. It is made from polythene an inorganic compound that is toxic to produce and remains toxic even after the papers are manufactured and disposed. It is estimated that in the United States alone there are 100 billion plastic bags that are used per year. This translates to an estimated 300 per person. When this is expanded to the global level the numbers are simply staggering. More than 500 billion are estimated to be used across the globe. Without a proper and sustainable solution for the reduction of the number and hence the impacts of the plastic bags, the environment is bound to deteriorate in their presence (Thornton).
Impact on Soil
The plastic bags have quite a number of impacts on the environment and among them is the fact that they affect the soil. Polythene is not a compound that dissolves in the soil under the general processes of degradation (Wagner). As such, plastic bags take a long time before they be degraded in the soil. The plastic in the bags, break down into smaller particles and then stay in the soil for an estimated time of more than 1000 years before they can completely decompose. Accumulation of the plastics in the soil that leads to poor absorption of nutrients by the plants (Wagner).
Impact on Human Health
One of the most significant elements of the absorption of the plastics by the plants from the soils is that they then end up in the human body. This is relative to the food chain where the plastics taken up by the plants are then ingested into the human blood and finally organs. Other than the plants the human body also gets the plastics that go into the water bodies after flowing through the soils, into the ground or surface waters (Andrews). When the water is ingested trough t...