Think your favorite bath toy’s safe? Think again.
In Slow Death By Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things, Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith argue that consumer safety laws have not caught up with our chemical-laden culture. Industrial pollutants are everywhere, lurking in cosmetics, everyday plastic products, childrens’ toys, innocuous-seeming tin cans of tuna and beer. The book argues that our definition of “pollution” must be broader than belching smokestacks and overflowing garbage dumpsters. “Pollution” must include the countless invisible, toxic substances we come into contact with every day.
The authors decided to study their own bodies as sites of pollution, measuring blood levels of chemicals before and after engaging in commonplace activities—shaving, drinking cola, wearing pajamas. Their studies reveal a terrifying truth: our bodies have become repositories for countless industrial chemicals. Some have not been sufficiently studied for adverse human health effects, but many of these ubiquitous substances have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems.
On this Lit Show, Rick Smith discusses some of the most common household intruders—why they’re insidious, and how to avoid them.
Complete Show:
Rick Smith reads from the introduction to Slow Death By Rubber Duck:
