What are the problems caused by the non-biodegradable wastes that we generate?

Non-biodegradable wastes cannot be broken-down into simpler substances. Their volume keeps on increasing creating the problem of their safe disposal. Some of the non-biodegradable wastes like heavy metals and pesticides enter into the food chain and increases in the upper trophic levels. Non-biodegradable wastes reduce the soil fertility by changing the natural pH balance.

(i) They cause biomagnification and increases pollution.

(ii) They make environment unclean.

(iii) They kill useful micro-organisms.

Non biodegradable wastes pollute the environment. They are:-

1. By these wastes Bio magnification takes place.

2. By these wastes large number of microbes are collected.

3. By consuming such food we get many diseases.

• Non-biodegradable waste such as plastics, aluminium cans and pesticides are inert substances. These persist in the environment for very long time. 

• This means that these substances require landfills for dumping. 

• Excess of fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals cause soil infertility and also affects aquatic life. 

• Most of non-biodegradable chemicals are easily absorbed by the organisms causing biological magnification.