The Not So “Micro” Plastic Problem. A conversation with Matt Simon, author of “A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies”

For September’s CHE-Alaska webinar, we will be joined by science journalist Matt Simon, author of “A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies.” In the book, Simon reveals an entirely new dimension to the plastic dilemma – how microplastics break down into small enough pieces to enter lungs, be absorbed by crops, and infiltrate aquatic animals’ muscle tissues.  Unlike other contaminants that are single elements or have simple chemical structures, microplastics represent a cocktail of toxicity: plastics can contain as many as 10,000 different chemicals – some which are linked to diseases from diabetes to cancers and other endocrine disrupting disorders.

 

 

 

Simon will also discuss how this latest aspect of the microplastic crisis pertains to the Arctic – which is becoming increasingly contaminated. In a recent article Simon published on Wired, he writes, “As scientists have shown elsewhere, the team found that microplastics contamination in the Arctic has been growing exponentially and in lockstep with the growth of plastic production—which is now up to a trillion pounds a year, with the global amount of plastic waste projected to triple by 2060.” CHE-Alaska is part of CHE’s broader network, an international partnership of nearly 5,000 individuals and organizations across 87 countries and all 50 US states dedicated to addressing environmental impacts on human health across the lifespan.

We encourage you to become a CHE partner so you can receive our monthly email newsletters, announcements about upcoming webinars, and other updates on a range of environmental health topics. Visit www.healthandenvironment.org to learn more. We invite you to join the CHE-Alaska partnership and our monthly webinars.