From Atoms to Materials

Air pollution Burning plastic waste may produce toxic or carcinogenic gases. Water pollution • Aquatic animals may die if they eat toxic metal waste, or if they are trapped by plastic waste. • Drainage systems may be blocked by metal or plastic waste. Many production processes consume fuels and energy resources, e.g. extraction of metals from ores, metal casting, fractional distillation of crude oil, production of plastics, etc. Air pollutants and carbon dioxide are released into the air. Production Disposal Burning plastic Trapped animal Blocked drain Metal casting Extraction of metal Aquatic animals often mistakenly eat microplastics (plastics less than 5mm in length) in seas and rivers. These microplastics can accumulate in their organs, causing harmful effects on their bodies. 99 13 From Atoms to Materials © United Prime Educational Publishing (HK) Limited 2024 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Sample