Plastics Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

By Matthew Savoca | Think Global Health | July 25, 2022

Read the full article by Matthew Savoca (Think Global Health)

"The tip of the iceberg" is an aphorism derived from the density differences between fresh and saltwater that leave a tiny fraction (~10 percent) of icebergs bobbing above frigid polar waters. It is easy to be awestruck by the twinkling architecture of these frozen, floating mountains. But as mariners know, you must not forget what lies beneath.

This analogy is fitting for our world, which is awash in unseen, and largely unknown, synthetic chemicals. As a researcher studying oceanic plastic pollution, I was once so awed by plastic pollution that I didn't consider a much larger issue looming just below the surface. Plastics are a catalyst for discussion about the even bigger concern—the overuse and under-regulation of synthetic chemicals in the modern world, an issue that flies under the radar for most people.

Plastic itself is a fairly inert substance—just a simple, repeating hydrocarbon chain. One main reason "plastics," as we know them, are dangerous is because of the chemical additives put into them before they reach the consumer; chemical ingredients that reduce flammability and increase durability and flexibility. These chemical additives can make up more than half the weight of the plastic product that reaches the consumer."