The Petrohemical Industry and the Production of Plastic
What are petrochemical industries?
The petrochemical industry is a global industry that uses natural elements to make chemicals. This consists of factories, that work to make various types of products from plastics, rubbers, detergents, and dyes, to pesticides, adhesives, and explosives1. All requiring harmful chemicals to be manufactured. One well-known product that contains petrochemicals is plastic, which is all around us. These companies also release an abundant amount of toxic waste into the air and water because of lack of proper filtration leading to pollution. The types of chemicals created include benzene, ethylene, methanol, propylene and etc1. In addition, these companies emit greenhouse gases which contributes to the global climate crisis. The constant contributions to this crisis causes droughts, hurricanes, and other drastic climate changes. They also have effects on the air, water, and food. Petrochemical companies impact the air because it releases harmful toxins into air affecting air reducing air quality. It also contaminates the water, because these factories dump their liquid waste into nearby water sources causing more non-drinkable water and endangerment to the ecosystem1. Additionally, these companies create plastic products, that can be in our food and food products, leading to health issues in the future.
Production of Plastic
If we look around us, almost everything we own is plastic. Plastic is one of the most well used products today and it’s posing a serious threat to environment and consumer’s health. It has caused many direct and indirect links between health2. Plastic is made from organic materials that consist of monomers that are woven together to form polymers 5. It is also made up of many harmful toxins and chemicals. Exposure to these harmful chemical may come from plastic coming in contact with our foods and leaching off our products or being exposed to these toxins during manufacturing2. There has also been links between cancer, birth deficits, impaired immunity, and endocrine disruption and plastic2.
The most harmful and concerning type of plastic is single-use plastic. The issue with single use plastic is that, it’s only meant to be used once and then it’s disposed of. Single-use plastic are not recyclable which is concerning because it ends up being disposed in landfills and ocean. So, not only does plastic affect public health but it also endangers marine life as well. In addition, many companies rely on this form of plastic without realizing the harm it poses to the environment. They focus on making money and production rather than the well-being of individuals. These companies are also investing large sums of money, into the production of plastic and the build-up of petrochemical companies5. Another type of plastic is “virgin plastics”. Virgin plastics are made from previously unused material create from resin produced from natural gas or crude oil6. The use of this plastic in increasing and reaching unsustainable levels6. Similarly, like single-use plastic, virgin plastic contributes to plastic pollution because it gets disposed in landfills and oceans after use. In addition, since virgin plastic is not made from recycled material it’s difficult to dispose of and break down, which leads to waste management challenges. The makeup and production of virgin plastic also requires high amounts of energy, which causes carbon emission to be released into the air6.
From a source called “The unbearable cost of single-use plastics” by Frank Vanaerschot and Maxim Plaisier, they discuss how the world is drowning is plastic, plastic pollution, and how the plastic crisis is “endangering our environment and health”. This is a concern because recycling alone is not a solution to improve plastic crisis5. In addition, single-use plastic is mostly utilized in the food industry, food multinationals and supermarket chains. These companies are investing money to increase plastic production, without expressing the concerns plastic poses on the environment. Plastic most of the time ends up in our oceans, which eventually turns into micro-plastics over time. This is an issue because we end up ingesting these tiny particles. “Scientists are also linking more and more chemicals substances in plastics to serious health problems“5. These health problems include various cancers, diabetes, neurological disorders and fertility disorders. Therefore, we need to take action to stop plastic pollution to improve the environment and public health. To stop plastic pollution we need to produce less plastic, prevent future petrochemical companies from being built and bring awareness on the situation.
– Heal: Health and Environment Alliance
How it’s increasing Cancer
The production of plastic contributes to various types of pollution. Plastic is made from many types of materials such as benzene, vinyl hydrochloride and phthalates; products that heavily pollute our air3. Which these products have the potential to cause health concerns like cancer once it’s released into the air3. Plastic is increasing cancer rates, because almost everything we own contains plastic in it. It can be found in plastic containers and food packaging as well. When plastic comes into contact with our food or drinks, there’s a risk for chemicals to leach and spew into our food and drink. As a result, over time, repeated exposure to these chemicals increase the risk of cancer and other health problems3. These risks, depends on the type of plastic used and how much exposure one has to plastic.
In addition, individuals “who live close to plastic facilities” such as the residents in Saint James Parish”, they are more pone to experience negative health consequences as a result from pollution exposure3. The health impacts that can occur from air and plastic pollution include cancer, organ malfunction, birth defects and respiratory illness. This is due to toxic chemical being released into the air, when plastic is being made in the process. Plastic often begins with natural gas extraction, so exposure to these byproducts released into the hear leads to adverse health outcomes3. Therefore, high and long-term exposure increases the chances of health issues.
Within the St. James Parish community, as mentioned earlier, is a BIPOCC community facing many environmental changes due to petrochemical companies. From an environmental research conducted by Kimberly A. Terrell and Gianna St. Julien, they investigated how cancer incidence in Louisiana relates to cancer risk from air pollution, race, poverty, and occupation. From their research, they found that some social determinants of health such as race and poverty increases the likelihood of acquiring cancer within this community. Individuals living in poor environmental communities are more likely to get cancer because of high levels of exposure to air pollution4.If someone is constantly exposed to air pollution it can lead to poor health outcomes in the future. Exposure to high levels of particulate matter, over time, can lead to reduced lung function, respiratory infections and noncommunicable diseases such as cancer.
In Louisiana, petrochemical facilities are often built on former planation sites where predominately black communities live. This is due to environmental discrimination that result in political, economic, and social disparities. As a result, petrochemical companies pollute the community and continue to build more factories. These companies were also built in St. James specifically, because it was to close the river and contained fertile lands4. Then, whenever health concerns were brought to government officials in Louisiana regarding petrochemical companies and cancer, they found no correlation between the two and brushed it off. This is an example of environmental discrimination that St. James Parish faced. Additionally, racially segregated neighborhoods, such as in Louisiana and different countries across United States, tend to experience high cancer rates from toxic air4. According to Terrell and Julien, they found that “higher estimated risk from toxic air pollution was linked to higher cancer incidence among Louisiana’s most impoverished neighborhoods4.. Cancer rates were high because these communities were more likely to delay preventative medical visits due to high healthcare costs4.They residents in St. James also lacked proper medical care and appeared to be “underrepresented in the construction and manufacturing industries in Louisiana. This comes to shows that because of health disparities and environmental racism this greatly contributed to cancer rates in Saint James Parish.
References:
1.) Somma, M. (2021). The Harmful Effects of Petrochemicals on the Environment. Sciencing. https://sciencing.com/harmful-effects-petrochemicals-environment-8771898.html
2.) Rustagi, N., Pradhan, S. K., & Singh, R. (2011). Public health impact of plastics: An overview. Indian journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 15(3), 100–103. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5278.93198
3.) Plastic Production, Cancer Alley and Environmental Justice. (2020). Ecoenclose. https://www.ecoenclose.com/blog/plastic-production-cancer-alley-and-environmental-justice
4.) Terrell, K., A. & Julien, G., St. Environmental Impact: Louisiana’s Cancer Rates Examined. Rise St. James Louisiana. https://risestjames.org/cancer
5.) Vanaerschot, F. & Plaisier, M. (2021). The unbearable cost of single-use plastics. Fair Fin. (p.1-56)
6.) Convention on Plastic Pollution: Essential Elements: Virgin Plastic Production and Consumption. (2022). Environmental Investigation Agency. https://apps1.unep.org/resolutions/uploads/essential_elements_-_production_and_consumption.pdf