difference between the two is their linking patterns. In most plastics, the long polymer chains are independent of one another; whereas in thermosets, their polymers become interconnected in a chemical reaction called ‘crosslinking’.
Since Leo H. Baekeland invented the first plastic in 1907, their [over]use has spiked dramatically. One of the many reasons for this is their multifaceted applicability. From insulators to umbrellas, plastics have drastically advanced almost every field of modern life. But at what cost? As explained before, plastics are derived from petroleum products (in other words, plastics–what we eat, drink, and wear–is a byproduct derived from crude oil). According to the CDC, “Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals that are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibers.” (“CDC | Facts About Benzene,” 2019) Benzene, as described by the Science Corps, “can cause cancer, birth defects, and permanent nerve damage,” not to mention, “chemical pneumonitis.” (Crude Oil and Your Health, 2019) Additionally, the US National Library of Medicine says, “Because petroleum is widely used, unintentional acute releases [i.e. contaminations] can occur almost anywhere.” (Anderson & Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2015) Take a second to think about all the plastics you came into contact with today. Did you drink out of a plastic bottle? Did you use a plastic straw or utensil? These acts may seem harmless, but in reality, they have been a catalyst for one of the most widespread public health issues in US history. Today, “93% of Americans over the age of 6 test positive for BPA,” (“Bisphenol A (BPA),” 2018) according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. PBA–the full name being Bisphenol A–is another one of those petroleum resins, which is in the same family as Benzene. Already, the adverse impact of plastic on one’s health is apparent, but we haven’t even gotten into the worst of it: the modern environmental calamity.
Single-use plastics is the name, convenience is the game. When boiled down, a majority of plastic use comes down to convenience. We buy a cup of coffee, 20 minutes later we can simply throw it out. We use a plastic straw so we don’t have to raise a cup all the way to our mouths, and afterward, right to the trash. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Recall that plastics are a product of refined crude oil. This oil that we have been using for everything from jet fuel to candle wax has been sitting underground (originally the decaying organic matter from ancient organisms) for millions of years (National Geographic Society, 2018). As described by Kenneth Peters, an organic