Abstract

Aayushi Pal, Disha Sharma, Tanu Tyagi

ABSTRACT

The amount of plastic waste that has accumulated worldwide has reached crisis proportions. In order to integrate and better understand the intricacy of these processes, it is necessary to evaluate the various and multifaceted effects of plastic on biological health from a One Health perspective. Every ecosystem on Earth, from the highest mountains to the deepest oceanic trenches, contains plastic particles that range in size from nanometers to meters. All levels of biological organization—from the molecular and cellular to the organismal, community, and ecosystem levels—are impacted by plastic garbage. The chemical characteristics of the plastic polymers, the myriad of additives that are mixed with plastics during manufacture, the sorbed chemicals and bacteria that are carried by the plastic waste, and the physical characteristics of plastics all play a role in mediating these effects. We give a summary of the following themes using a One Health framework: 1) how plastic affects health worldwide at all levels of biological organization, 2) how plastic's effects interact with one another across biological layers, and 3) what information gaps exist about plastic's effects both inside and across biological scales. With a focus on One Health viewpoints that take into account the unity of humans, animals, and the environment, we also offer possible remedies to deal with this escalating catastrophe.