Insolubility in water and relative chemical inertness of pure
plastics make them low toxic. Several plastic products can be
toxic due to the presence of some additives in them, e. g.
plasticizers like adipates and phthalates are frequently added to
brittle plastics like polyvinyl chloride to make them bendable
enough. Traces of these compounds can percolate out of the
product. The compounds leaching from polystyrene food
containers have been predicted to interfere with hormone
functions and are supposed to have carcinogenic effect. The
finished plastic is non-toxic but the monomers that are used in
the production of the parent polymers can be toxic. Toxicity
study of biodegraded polythene on plants was monitored by
observing their effect on seed germination in seeds like ground
nut, sunflower, safflower, sesame and soybean (Aswale 2010).
It was recorded that seed germination (%) decreases in treated
seeds, while in case of larvae (Chironomous spp.) no toxicity
was detected in terms of decreases in mortality rate. S. aureus,
P. aeruginosa, A. niger, Rhizopus spp. and Streptomyces spp.
were used for degradation of polythene bags and plastic cups
and toxicity level of biodegraded polythene was studied using
Vigna radiata. It was observed that addition of biotreated
polythene granules reduced soil pores size, which may have
negative effect on the nutrient uptake by the root of plant