Each and every day, in a myriad of ways, your body is being subjected to an increasingly elaborate series of poisons and toxins. Moreover, there’s practically nothing you can do about it. Such a pronouncement may, on the surface, sound like the proclamation of a conspiracy theorist. Unfortunately, it’s verifiable fact – supported by an increasing number of scientific enquires.
The very nature of the economy in which you live, combined with the unfolding of ecological and climate breakdown, is (and shall continue to be) a primary determinant of your physical health. It’s worth exploring a few examples, and considering precisely what this means in the long-term…
There’s plastic in your blood
Microplastics are (you guessed it) tiny particles of plastic. Officially, they’re defined as plastics that are less than 0.2 inches in diameter. They have a broad range of sources, ranging from tyres, clothes, and industrial processes. Over time, as they’re exposed to the elements, they continue to breakdown – becoming so small that they become airborne. Scientists from Kyushu University have estimated that there are 24.4 trillion microplastic particles in the world’s upper oceans. Which is why it shouldn’t be surprising that, in 2017, Belgian scientists concluded that regular eaters of seafood were likely ingesting 11,000 plastic particles a year.
In 2022, Dutch and British scientists discovered microplastics in the lungs and blood of living people; discovering that they were successfully embedding themselves within the body and, in some cases, cells. In terms of what this means for our actual health we, quite terrifyingly, simply don’t know. Research remains embryonic, and those responsible for the production of microplastics are lobbying hard to keep it that way. There are thousands of chemicals in many, commonly used plastics. So, even if we determine harmful effects, pinpointing the precise causes will be extremely difficult.
Regardless, if you’ve eaten fish, worn modern clothing, or walked alongside a busy road with vehicular traffic, you likely have microplastics in your body. You’ll almost certainly have more of them next month, and more still next year.
Forever chemicals in your tap water
As reported recently by The Guardian, a substance recognised as being carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation has been found in ‘hundreds’ of English drinking water samples. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is used in the likes of industrial processes and food packaging. Due to its longevity, it’s been labelled a ‘forever chemical’. That is to say, it’s exceptionally difficult for natural systems to dispense with it, once it’s gotten into an environment or living organism.
Whilst PFOA has been recognised as a cause of cancer for some time, it’s recently been upgraded to a ‘category one’ carcinogen. That is to say, it can indisputably cause cancer in humans. Data from the Environment Agency has revealed the presence of PFOA in nearly 1,000 water sources sampled between 2006 and 2022. Whilst the forever chemical has been found in high quantities throughout Europe, including in countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Italy, England has developed a particularly notorious reputation for water quality (or a lack thereof).
A report produced in 2022, by a House of Commons Committee, concluded that there isn’t a single river in England currently free from chemical contamination. A paltry 14% of the country’s rivers were found to have a ‘good’ ecological condition.
In short, then, you could be subjecting yourself to forever chemicals and carcinogens each and every time you consume water from your house’s taps. You could, alternatively, purchase bottles of water – which are, naturally, made of pla…Perhaps not.
Air pollution and the miasma of capitalism
In the UK, air pollution and poor air-quality causes between 28,000 and 36,000 premature deaths per year. For perspective, just over 18,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip thus far. The primary cause of air pollution in the UK, as in many countries, is the transport sector – which is overwhelmingly represented by private motor vehicles.
Those living in inner-cities and larger towns, especially people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, are the most likely to be subjected to catastrophic levels of air pollution. This year, 14 London boroughs were found to have illegal levels of toxin nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Back in 2021, an EU court found that 75% of urban areas in the UK had possessed illegal levels for over a decade.
Communities living in orbit of slaughterhouses and industrial dairy farms are also at a significantly raised level of exposure; with animal agriculture being a major producer of ammonia emissions. Ultimately though, if you’re around cars you’re likely being exposed to poor air-quality. Air pollution has been decisively linked to a variety of respiratory conditions, reduced lifespans, and, more recently, neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease.
Ministers have been found to have actively misled the public as to the effects of air pollution when repealing air-quality standards and measures. Indeed, many such measures have become primary targets for right-wing agitators and politicians. Regardless, with more vehicles on the nation’s roads than ever before, and lax regulations, the situation is likely to worsen in our towns and cities – exposing all of us to a harmful, inescapable miasma.
Capitalism is poisoning us
When we think of criticisms of capitalism, they tend to pertain to issues of disparities in wealth, power, and influence. But it’s crucial to remember that capitalism, and its growth imperative (so hostile to any and all restrictions on its operations), is literally poisoning our bodies. Crucially, it’s doing this in a way that’s practically unavoidable. No matter the details of your lifestyle, no matter where you live, the effects of this economic order can now literally be found in your blood with the assistance of a microscope.
There are a plethora of illustrations of how capitalism is poisoning us. It’d be easy to discuss the masses of ‘food’, entirely devoid of nutritional content, produced with the aid of innumerable pesticides, being peddled to young children and deprived communities. We could also draw attention to how soil pollution, in which our food is grown, is killing 500,000 of us a year. The message remains the same.
None of us should be exposed to carcinogens so that a tiny class of capitalists, motivated solely by profit, can live in increasing luxury. Bodily autonomy requires that each and every one of us is the master of our own health. Barring conditions beyond our power, the decisions that matter the most to our health should be the ones we make for ourselves.
As the planet plunges further into climate breakdown (a health catastrophe in of itself) it’s important to remember that many lives will have already been claimed by the direct health catastrophes caused by capitalist production and negligence. Until industry lies firmly in the hands of working people, serving the interests of their communities, the capitalist mode of production will continue to drive us towards early graves (assuming the Climate Crisis doesn’t get us first).
