“I’m a Barbie Girl, in Barbie World
Life in Plastic, It’s Fantastic
Now I’ve Got Melanoma
Anal blastoma
Going Into Coma
Life in Plastic
It’s Fantastic”
– Aqua, ‘Barbie Girl,’ Armageddon Prose Remix
It seems to me that perhaps most of us mere mortals (perhaps not in this audience, but in the general population) haven’t yet begun to appreciate the massive public health threat that ubiquitous plastic poses — in the air, in the water, in the food, in the condoms, anything and everything — the greatest single ongoing environmental catastrophe on Earth, hands down.
In Thailand, street vendors will drop watermelon or mango or whatever in a plastic bag and then put the plastic bag in another plastic bag for some reason that I could never understand. I asked one or two locals the haunting question why —but, in typical Thai fashion, never got a straight answer. Something about convenience and keeping up appearances, as only the highly-regarded fruit vendors triple-bag everything.
“Plastics make it possible!” (Sponsored by the America Plastics Council)
Let’s not let a little cancer, a few million strokes, wrecked endocrine systems, thyroid destruction, and autoimmunity get in the way of Progress™.
Via The Independent (emphasis added):
“Melamine foam sponges used to clean households worldwide release trillions of microplastics each month, a new study has warned.
These sponges, known for their ability to remove even stubborn stains effortlessly, rely on their distinctive abrasive properties.
However, a new study published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal, estimates that fibres from these cleaning products release trillions of toxic microplastic particles globally each month, potentially impacting human health.
The sponges are made of a plastic polymer assembled into a soft, lightweight abrasive foam, making it ideal for making scrubby cleaning products.
But as they wear away with use, the foam breaks down into smaller pieces, releasing microplastic fibres (MPF) into sewer systems with each wash.
These toxic microplastics may be consumed by wildlife, making their way back to humans via the food chain.
They have been linked to several health complications in humans, including immune and endocrine system disruptions, as well as several types of cancers.”
Via Natural News (emphasis added):
“Doctors have warned of potentially life-threatening effects of plastic pollution after finding a substantially elevated risk of stroke, heart attack and early death in people whose blood vessels were contaminated with microplastics.
Researchers in Naples examined fatty plaques removed from the blood vessels of patients with arterial disease and found that more than half had deposits contaminated with tiny particles of polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride (PVC)…
Those whose plaques contained microplastics were nearly five times more likely to suffer a stroke, heart attack or death from any cause over the following 34 months, compared with those whose plaques were free from plastic contamination.”
Via The Guardian (emphasis added):
“Several brands of condoms and lubricants contain alarming levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, including styles of Trojan and K-Y Jelly, new research finds.
The testing conducted by the Mamavation consumer advocacy blog comes just as researchers found human skin absorbs the chemicals at much higher levels than previously thought…
PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and are linked to cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems.
PFAS are also considered to be reproductive toxicants and endocrine disruptors linked to low birth weight, reduced sperm counts, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, infertility and shorter duration of breastfeeding.”
Ben Bartee, author of Broken English Teacher: Notes From Exile, is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs.
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