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Plastic - it is the foundational substance of our modern world. Cheap, malleable, and durable, it has enabled our species to make exponential strides in our ability to transport food, build affordable and lightweight technology, and provide what some would define as a higher standard of living. But the ease and frivolity with which we have mass produced plastic on this planet has come with a grave consequence - for every short term gain that we are afforded with using plastic, we have created a substance that either takes thousands of years to biodegrade, or it aggressively contaminates the environment that we rely on to survive.
On Type One Planet, we will be doing a series of conversations about plastic. How to recycle it, how to reuse it, and how to get micro plastics and polymers out of our drinking water and out of our bodies. There are many who believe that this endeavor is directly tied to the short term survival of our species, and the long-term design of a civilization that has learned to sustainably use this astonishing material in our day-to-day lives.
Today, we spoke with Dr. Frank Leibfarth, one such scientist who has set out to understand certain forms of plastic polymers that have been found in our bodies, causing elevated cholesterol, thyroid disease, lowered immunity, cancer, and other disarray in our endocrine system. These polymers enter our bodies through our drinking water, and Frank has dedicated his team to finding a way to remove those materials from our most precious resource. Because of his work Frank was recognized by Popular Science as one of their “Brilliant 10,” a list of scientists and engineers from across the nation who have the potential to transform the world with their innovative approaches to key issues. We sat down to find out why.
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