A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies

by Matt Simon

“Informed, utterly blindsiding account.” - Booklist, starred review



It’s falling from the sky and in the air we breathe. It’s in our food, our clothes, and our homes. It’s microplastic and it’s everywhere—including our own bodies. Scientists are just beginning to discover how these tiny particles threaten health, but the studies are alarming.

 

In A Poison Like No Other, Matt Simon reveals a whole new dimension to the plastic crisis, one even more disturbing than plastic bottles washing up on shores and grocery bags dumped in landfills. Dealing with discarded plastic is bad enough, but when it starts to break down, the real trouble begins. The very thing that makes plastic so useful and ubiquitous – its toughness – means it never really goes away. It just gets smaller and eventually small enough to enter your lungs or be absorbed by crops or penetrate a fish’s muscle tissue before it becomes dinner.

 

Unlike other pollutants that are single elements or simple chemical compounds, microplastics represent a cocktail of plastics contain at least 10,000 different chemicals. Those chemicals are linked to diseases from diabetes to hormone disruption to cancers.

 

A Poison Like No Other is the first book to fully explore this new dimension of the plastic crisis, following the intrepid scientists who travel to the ends of the earth and the bottom of the ocean to understand the consequences of our dependence on plastic. As Simon learns from these researchers, there is no easy fix. But we will never curb our plastic addiction until we begin to recognize the invisible particles all around us. 

 

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Science, Health, Audiobook, Climate Change, Economics

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2022

Reviews

[Aaron Anstett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before opening the book, I thought, "Just what I need: more nightmare fodder." This is a quick, fascinating, and depressing read about the prevalence of microplastics everywhere on the planet, from mountain peaks to ocean depths to the air in our lungs and the blood in our veins. With some horror on finishing the book, I realized that my copy from the library, like most hardback library books, has a cover sheathed in everlasting, greenhouse gas-emitting plastic. Sigh. Key takeaways: Buy fewer but higher-quality clothes (that is, avoid fast fashion), use the washer and dryer less, and lobby for a plastic tax.

[fire_on_the_mountain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I understood the broader point that "microplastics are bad" but I really didn't grasp the depth or breadth of it. The dust in the corner is plastic. They're above Mt Everest and they are in the Marianas Trench. It falls from the sky. It's in our lungs, and possibly our blood and brains. It's a delivery system for even worse things as they degrade, and as they degrade they become a potentially worse micro-biome primed to survive through almost anything. We'll never be free of them.

They are a fully terrible thing to deal with, in manifold ways that we don't even fully understand yet, with a complexity that we may never understand in time to do anything about it. I understood that they were present, but I didn't understand that they were *literally everywhere.* We cannot escape them and have no long-term prospects to do so. For a lot of very good reasons, we literally cannot live without plastics, but the devil's bargain inherent in their use is a lot to take in. If you read this, you'll definitely come away with a fuller understanding of the problem at hand, one that may dramatically change how you look at everything around us.

The book is necessarily short on solutions, because really, it's hard to think of anything but triage and survival at this point. I don't fault it for that, because it did arm me with the awareness to see the scope of the problem we're facing. You probably should, too.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one person who even looks at this book will be unfamiliar with microplastics - even if they may not know exactly what they are. They are, however, quite literally everywhere. We don't really know what this means and will do other than some of the obvious bits.

For that reason, a book like "A Poison Like No Other" is incredibly important.
For that reason, it's also a bit problematic.

Simon does a great job outlining what microplastics are and aren't, how prevalent they are, and even why they are in the first place. This is what makes the book worth reading. Illustrating some of the potential issues and effects is another (mostly) good.

Unfortunately the science isn't completely in on a lot of what Simon covers and warns for, meaning that he frequently overreaches. Add a pretty dry delivery and this book is not as good as it could be.

That said, I highly recommend it for what it does well, just keep an eye out for the overreach is all. And don't expect this to be happy reading, it most definitely is not. That's kinda the point.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of really useful information, and I learned a lot while reading it, but I didn’t find it to be engaging. It’s a lot of data and after awhile that loses its punch. It took me an abnormally long time to finish this one because I zoned out a lot and honestly kind of dreaded having to drive back in. You might be wondering why I still gave it 3 stars: I think it’s got a lot of important info, and if you have the patience for reading a bunch of numbers, you’d probably even enjoy it. I mean, if you like reading about how we’re all fucked on a global catastrophe level.

[Nei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some people say the book is depressing to read. I find it an accurate radiography of a consumerist society. If one finds this radiography depressing, then we need to do something to change current reality and not the book or its content.

Probably my favourite non-fiction read of the year which I highly recommend.

Even though microplastics and nanoplastics are everywhere, top tips to reduce intake are: avoid drinking from plastic bottles, hot liquids from paper cups, teabags, plastic Tupperware, synthetic clothing and do install a washing machine filter to capture microfibres.

What happens if you don’t: obesity, cancer, autism, ADHD etc. Even though not enough studies are made to support this (I wonder if this is due to lobbying as plastics have been with us for a long time now since 1950)

A good video of professor Andrew Huberman on the topic by referring to this book, who additionally recommends eating more broccoli to try to excrete the plastic toxins out of the body.
https://youtu.be/vfRtLI6cJrk?si=QH6xs...


5*+

[NonFiction 24/7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

At lot of doom and gloom that I skipped over in the first four chapters (I believe it all, it's just depressing to read). I got to the fifth chapter and it didn't have as much clear cut of a solution as I hoped, and it had few things I could do as a consumer.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavily researched and deeply depressing. However, I did order a washing machine filter.... every little bit helps, and it made me feel a tad less guilty.

[Megan Gunyou · Rating 3 out of 5]

My overall takeaway is we are all doomed and there’s not much we can do about it🙃🙃🙃 Incredible research though!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pessimistic, but realistic account of all areas of life (everywhere across the planet and space) that are connected to microplastics.

[Natalie Ciardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish this in its entirely because it’s so depressing. Worth a read - I focused on the ocean impact because that ties into my job

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really important topic, unfortunately conveyed in a format that is dense and difficult to read. It's a bit of a slog as Mr. Simon lists study after study after study, without much of a narrative, listing the myriad ways that microplastics have infected our world. The final chapter, which talks about solutions, is frustratingly thin and vague, attempting to argue that there's hope but without providing anything of substance. The central message is collective action, but there's virtually nothing prescriptive we can take away.

[Noah Gregory · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring (which is why I rated it so low)

Commentary:
The end had a Rousseau-like flavor to it, which I detest.
Maybe if he had just said “return to monke”, I would have at least had a laugh. However, the “hold corporations accountable” message seemed like a thin veil over a “civilization is bad message”. I agree that we need to turn down the tap of plastic production, but I think we can keep civilization too.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was terrifying

[Barry Belmont · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of one our worst negative externalities, demonstrating succinctly the process by which we burn up the past and scatter the ashes to the future in pursuit of present warmth. We call it progress because we go forward, not because we do better. We are each of us complicit, yet will not reap punishment. We are each of us comfortable because we do not feel the pain we inflict. We are responsible, yet we will not respond. As Fulke Greville put it two centuries before plastics were first synthesized: "For how should man think that he may not do, / If nature did not fail and punish, too?" We live in a poisoned world of our own creation and we can't/won't make it better. We can't go on, we'll go on.

[Marijo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all of Matt Simon's books, it is great. He provides great insights and information on the escalating dangers posed by plastics. It's more than a 4-star, but I wish I could give it a 4.5. because of one point: He cites many of his figures with what I consider insufficient context to understand their magnitude, preferring to let the figures speak for themselves.

But for that one point, the book is excellent and, overall, well-researched. He carefully separates the impacts of different plastics and the effects of size, focusing on the dangers of micro and nanoplastics, their different impacts on organisms, and their medical and environmental risks.

Strongly recommended.

[Karen Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and thought provoking foray into what is expediently becoming “the plague of plastics” of a doomed future for our environment and all its inhabitants.
Plastic, from its inception in 1863 as a sourced item that is strong and sturdy, yet moldable-quickly became the “go to” for just about everything.
Unfortunately, plastic also comes with numerous problems, mostly severe health issues; from tumors that hold minuscule plastic particles, trauma to airways, damage to land, sea and airborne. Plastic has now infiltrated every inch of our planet.
This book shows staggering statistical information that is mind blowing and extremely upsetting but very necessary, if as a whole, we will try and save yourselves.
Another wake up call to save our planet!

[Elizabeth Peebles · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. audio booked it. think could’ve been better to read as to reflect on the powerful statistics. this book was horrifying. but i learned a lot. plastic. is. everywhere. not too human centric until last ~25%.

[Luis Brudna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mais um problema para a humanidade? Tento ser otimista e pensar que talvez o problema dos microplásticos não seja tão severo quanto narrado no livro. Vamos ficar atentos.

[Karena Reale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof. This is a must-read but it’s not an easy one to stomach.

[Sophia Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

informative read, tons of stats that depict a very dark picture. wish the solutions chapter was meatier.

[Paul Froehlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a disturbing book! Readers of A Poison Like No Other will never look at plastic the same way again. Matt Simon provides a master class on the subject, correcting many misapprehensions along the way while citing scores of studies.

Plastic is made from fossil fuel. The manufacture of plastic took off about 1950, and it has been accelerating since. “Plastics are fossil fuels, and plastics are climate change.”

When plastic degrades, it breaks into smaller and smaller particles call microplastics. These particles are everywhere on our planet and in steadily growing quantities, doubling every 15 years since the 1940s.

Of the 14 trillion pounds of plastic produced so far, just nine percent has been recycled, while 12 percent has been incinerated. “We have well and truly plasticized the planet,” Simon writes.

One survey of the North Pacific found an average of 8,300 particles per liter of seawater. If the trend of plastic production continues, then “by 2100 there would be fifty times as many particles in the ocean as there are today.” A survey of studies estimates that 24 trillion microplastics float on the surface of the oceans. Particles also embed in sediment on the ocean floor.

The fish we eat contain microplastics. “From the tiniest of plankton to the biggest of whales, petroparticles have thoroughly infiltrated the food chain.” The effect on human health is uncertain, however, some plastics contain endocrine disrupting chemicals. Microplastics are found to reduce growth rate and increase mortality in animals.

Two studies released this year are alarming. One found microplastics in human testicles and suggested a relationship between microplastics and the steady decline of sperm count since the last century. Another study finds that higher concentrations of microplastics correlate with heart disease.

One leading source of particles is our clothes, two-thirds of which are now made of soft plastic fibers. When polyester, nylon, acrylic or fleece clothing go into the washing machine, they shed millions of tiny plastic fibers. Another source is driving because tiny particles of synthetic rubber fly from our tires, which contain nylon and polyester.

Tea bags are made of plastic, as are cigarette butts. Then there is all of the single-use plastic we consume daily in wrapping and packaging. Where cardboard and glass were once used, they have been replaced more and more with single-use plastic such as Styrofoam.

One of the most disappointing revelations is that recycling doesn’t work. The main reason is that it is so much cheaper to refine virgin plastic than to recycle, reuse or recover. Consequently, unlike with glass or aluminum, there is almost no market for recycled plastic. No market means more and more used plastic piling up in landfills or being incinerated.

“The petrochemical industry is still trying to fool people into thinking that plastic recycling is the solution, and it’s been an abysmal failure,” says Judith Enck, a former EPA administrator and president of Beyond Plastics.

Other revelations:
• Every step of plastic production expels greenhouse gases.
• “Biodegradable” means that plastic breaks down faster, and bioplastic contains the same noxious chemicals as regular microplastics.
• The Nordic Council of Ministers has identified 144 individual chemicals used in plastics that are known to be harmful, including, bisphenol A, formaldehyde and toxic metals.
• When microplastics break down, they eventually become nanoplastics, which are small enough to enter human organs.
• “Plastic is now a fundamental component of the air.”

Since recycling isn’t the answer, then what should be done?
• Microfiber filters should be mandatory on every washing machine, as France has done starting in 2025.
• Clothing should state on the label how much microfibers it sheds.
• Avoid drinking out of plastic containers.
• Put a tax on virgin plastic in order to make recycling more economically viable.
• Require producers to engage in massive recycling of their products.

Plastic is essential for modern society. On the other hand, humanity is doomed if we keep producing exponentially more plastic. Individual action won’t fix a systemic problem. Public policies are needed to curb single-use packaging. The health of our planet depends on how we respond. -30-

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I knew plastic pollution was bad. I had no idea just HOW bad it is. Before, I was concerned about the problem. Now, I believe that plastic pollution is as existential a crisis as any of the others we face--biodiversity loss, deforestation, top soil loss, wildlife loss, over-development, over-population, climate change, etc.

And like these other man-made crises, there is no going back--at least, not on a timescale that makes sense to humans (or other life). The plastic is out there, breaking into trillions upon trillions of tiny pieces too small to see, and far too small to retrieve. It will be out there for eons. And even if we did retrieve all or even some of that plastic, there is nothing that can be done with it that doesn't make the problem worse. We know, for instance, that plastic recycling and plastic incinerating creates huge amounts of microplastic and nanoplastic, along with other toxic pollutants.

This is one of those books I couldn't put down because every page is like a horror movie--I'm glued to the story, my mouth agape because it's almost unbelievable how bad it is--and I kept muttering F*K under my breath as I read on, and on, and on about this poison we've unleashed upon the world.

Fascinating, gripping, and mind-blowing is how I'd describe all but the last chapter of the book. Unfortunately, having written one of the best arguments I've seen to date of why we should immediately and completely terminate making all plastic, the author gets to the end and equivocates. "We can't stop making plastic--it's too useful," he says. I laughed out loud at the outrageousness of this--I'd just read chapter upon chapter about how plastic is poisoning us all, and then this? What a disappointment. It reminds me of the people concerned about climate change who go on and on about "net zero"--or "not zero" as I like to call it. It's delusional, but perhaps it's my fault for expecting more--what else should one expect but equivocation from a society trained to believe in corporate-backed "solutions" ($$$).

The author does recognize the inadequacy of all the so-called "solutions" other than making less plastic--so for that I give him credit--but cannot forgive him for his lack of imagination at the end. We humans lived on Earth without plastic until about 60 years ago. We could do so again. That is what the bulk of this book tells us we must do. That is what the final message should have been.

I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned about plastic. I can no longer take a breath, eat a bite, or drink a gulp without thinking about all the tiny particles of plastic I'm breathing, eating, and drinking, and the poisons those tiny particles are unleashing in my body as they enter my cells, clog my blood, and float around in my brain. I'll never look at the world the same again. We have poisoned this Earth--utterly and completely. It is very sad.

[Kinsey]

Haven't finished this one yet, I had to return it to the library. But I wanted to take note of the spots that I marked.

"...each year the equivalent of 300 million water bottles fall on just 6 percent of the country's land mass...plastic rain is the new acid rain." (pg. 2)

"Everywhere scientists look, they find plastic particles, from the depths of the Mariana Trench to the tippy top of Mount Everest and every place in between. Microplastics is the pernicious glitter that has bastardized the whole of Earth, a forever-residue from the party that is consumerism. We have well and truly plasticized this planet, far more thoroughly than images of plastic-clogged harbors would lead you to believe." (pg. 3)

"If humanity doesn't do something to stop the flow of microplastics into the environment, by 2100 there could be fifty times the particles in the ocean as there are today." (pg. 5)

"Being honest, plastic is a miracle material. Get rid of single-use plastics like shopping bags, to be sure, but not plastic syringes and other medical devices, not plastic wiring insulators, not the many components in our cars and electronics. Level any criticism at the petrochemical industry about how they're drowning the world in plastic and the first thing they'll remind you is just how useful the stuff is. It's our fault as consumers that we're misusing plastic instead of recycling, which is a bit like opioid manufacturers blaming patients for getting hooked on their drugs." (pg. 12)

" Exactly how much plastic humanity has produced thus far, we'll never know. But scientists have taken a swing at an estimate: more than 18 trillion pounds, twice the weight of all the animals living on Earth. Of that, 14 trillion pounds have become waste. Just 9 percent of that waste has been recycled, and 12 percent has been incinerated. The rest has been landfilled or released into the environment, where each bag and bottle and wrapper shatters into millions of microplastics." (pg. 14)

"...every year, nearly 18 million pounds of plastic enter just the oceans - one garbage truck full every minute. Just the amount of microplastics entering the environment is the equivalent of every human on Earth walking up to the sea and tossing in a grocery bag every week. In North America, where microplastic emissions are particularly high, it's more like each person contributing three bags a week." (pg. 14)

[Anny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, because while the book was a bit boring (those tons of numbers), the message was not.

diamonds are forever ... and so are plastics

Even worse, plastics were, by now, literally EVERYWHERE. They're in the soil we used to grow our food, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. If you lived anywhere on planet Earth, then you cannot escape from plastics.

How did it get that bad? It stemmed from the fact of how plastics long plastics can last, which was anywhere from hundreds to maybe thousands of years. In the meantime, they simply break apart into smaller and smaller particles (macroplastics into microplastics into nanoplastics) which enabled them to get just about everywhere, including your gut, lung, blood and brain. What were the effects of having such foreign (and most likely contaminated) particles in your organs? Nobody knows. We can only cross our fingers and hoped that the effects won't be too harmful for us, otherwise it's game over because there were really not much that we can do to remove all those plastics particles. Even if we're to stop all plastics production today, there were all those plastics that we have produced since 1950s and yes, they're there to stay, probably will even outlast humanity.

Anything we can do? As an individual consumer, not much really. Every time we washed any polyester fabric, it sheds hundreds of microplastics. Every time we drive a car, our tires produces tons of petro-particles. And all those plastics products and packaging eventually will breakdown into microplastics and nanoplastics. Plastics didn't disappear when you throw them away, they simply became smaller and smaller ... all the better to get into your body and your children' bodies to god knows what effect.

But if we can call/harass/bombard our representatives to make them realize the emergency we're facing, they might actually mandate that producers of plastics must be responsible for their mess (instead of forcing us to wipe their asses) and made them pay accordingly. Thus by force of economy, producers will find a way to produce less plastics (so they will pay less) or to reuse more plastics, and hopefully saving us from plasticapolypse.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 I guess. I would rate it 2 except that feels like I'd be making a statement about disagreement with the book or something. No, I'm sure it's all true and I agree with the author the microplastics are a problem. But there was nothing in this book to capture my attention. Maybe it was just missing the human element. Maybe there was never any suspense or surprise to keep me focused. Why should I care about yet another bit of information about how yet another plastic object sheds polymers like humans shed dead skin cells? I knew exactly what was coming every time he shared a new fact. It was basically a game of "here's another type of plastic. what do you think it does?" and I as reader knew the answer would be "this type of plastic probably also exists in every soil sample and water sample and biological cell tissue on the planet". Sounds horrifying right? So why was I bored?

I was much more focused reading No More Tears, about Johnson and Johnson's crimes against humanity. I think that perhaps I need there to be human intent in an outrage bait book. Sure, this book talks about how the big plastic companies want us all to keep buying plastic. But where are the executive memos showing me who the villain is? Where is the analysis of the systematic bureaucratic tendency towards evil? Idk, I think as a reader I need there to be either a mystery to unravel or a human system to reform. This book focused too much on all the nanoparticles that are already out there and as a result I felt fatalistically bored. Too late now, nothing we can do about it. Or maybe it just wasn't the kind of science I enjoy. Here's some molecules that do things. I'm not really a chemistry person I guess.

[Eve Schaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ THIS BOOK FOR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN. Matt Simon's book on microplastics, A Poison Like No Other, lives up to the billing and then some. Microplastic prevalence in our homes, our bodies, and the environment is being uncovered by scientists and what the implications of that could mean to our health and the health of the planet are truly staggering. Filled with important scientific studies and interviews with experts, Simon proves the key point often missed by others that fighting plastic waste IS fighting climate change.

If you're looking for proof that plastic is the moral and ethical problem of our time, look no further. Although the picture he paints is grim indeed, Simon also offers realistic potential solutions including legislating the worst offenders out of existence and a tax on plastic.

Here's a favorite quote: "Long pitched as benign wundermaterials, plastics are ubiquitous poisons that have seeped into the roots of the tree of life... Above all else, we have to elect politicians ho understand that fighting climate change and fighting plastic pollution are two sides of the same coin and that increasing exposure to polymers is a public health emergency."

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally had trouble finding an in-depth book about microplastics so I'm glad I stumbled across this book. Matt Simon gives a good overview of the microplastics crisis, citing evidence for their ubiquity in this world from the oceans to the mountains and even the air we breathe. The most interesting part of the book for me was when he talked about how different microplastics can be ingested by animals leading to blockages and physical harm, affecting the survival of different species and disrupting ecosystems much in the same way climate change has.

I also read this book as I was worried about my own health and what I could do to try and avoid poisoning myself with microplastics. Simon recommends wearing non-synthetic clothing, reducing single use plastic consumption, and lobbying for regulation as things we can do to limit our risk. All this being said there is still a lack of research done on the long term effects on humans, which is why microplastics are whispered about and not sending people into a full blown panic like climate change has. Interesting stuff.

[geets · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book in the beginning, I think that the data collected is very important and that the issue it raises about plastic being prevalent is an important issue to talk about, I have no doubt that ie needs to be broken down the way it was. However, over time it felt like I was reading the same message over and over of how fucked we are and eventually, I was just reading to finish the book. The content didn't interest me anymore as it seemed like a reiteration of how fucked we are and why, which again is important but I got tired of hearing it. I think my favorite part of the book was the last chapter as I liked the call to action and the inspirational quotes of how to fix this issue. I do think plastics are a problem and I will fight with my money now but this book also made me feel helpless as corporations are the big factor in changing our world and halting plastic production - so therefore we are FUCKED.

[Caleb H · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars: this book is incredibly well researched and although having hard truths encapsulated within the book it still manages to not completely shatter the readers hope for a better tomorrow with not only personal changes you can make to change this situation but also changes to make on a large scale for a better future. I think my major problem is some of the jumps Matt Simons makes. An example of this is saying that microplastics could be contributing to higher obesity rates. when things like this happen he is sure to say that this is not yet proven however at certain points it feels more like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks and gets the reader angry or scared. however, overall, I felt this book was incredibly enlightening and totally worth a read if you have the time

[Lana Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is an apt description of how the whole book reads. Full of depressing facts about the state of the environment, animals and our own bodies, with the overall theme of general powerlessness in the face of the pervasive nature of plastic. One short chapter at the end of the book offers the only hope: pressing governments to regulate and punish the businesses responsible for the level of pollution we have. Quite similar message to Bill Gates' book on the environment, but Gates was a more engaging read and more hopeful. Still, Simon did well to make the fact-heavy text lighter with anecdotes and visually descriptive language.