A Poison Like No Other

September 5, 2022
Journalist Simon (Plight of the Living Dead) reveals in this alarming study how microplastics have invaded Earth’s ecosystems and the human body. The tiny particles of eroding plastic originate in such ubiquitous objects as cars, clothes, and product packaging, and can be found everywhere “from the depths of the Mariana Trench to the tippy top of Mount Everest and every place in between.” Simon explains the process of plastic erosion, noting, for instance, that a single load of laundry flushes “between 91,000 and 138,000 microfibers” into wastewater treatment facilities, and how container ships shed microplastics into the ocean that contaminate seafood intended for human consumption. A major health concern, Simon writes, stems from the from endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics that “make hormones go haywire, even in low concentrations.” Simon offers some solid solutions such as microfiber filters on washing machines, the use of more sustainable materials in clothing manufacturing, and in general reducing society’s dependence on plastic (after all, he notes, “the microplastic crisis is the macroplastic crisis”). This is a lucid, distressing look at a growing environmental concern. Agent: David Fugate, LaunchBooks Literary.