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Fake silk : the lethal history of viscose rayon / Paul David Blanc.

by Blanc, Paul D., 1951-

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Yale University Press, 2016.

338.47677 B638f

Rayon industry and trade -- Health aspects.

Rayon -- Toxicology.

Textile fibers, Synthetic -- Toxicology.

Man-made fibers industry -- Health aspects.

Viscose process.

Visit the author's Household Hazards blog on the Psychology Today website.

9780300204667 (hc.)

xiv, 309 pages ; 24 cm

Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-288) and index.

In the beginning -- The crazy years -- Wrapped up in cellophane -- Body count -- Rayon goes to war -- The heart of the matter -- Rayon will be with us.

When a new technology makes people ill, how high does the body count have to be before protective steps are taken? This disturbing book tells a dark story of hazardous manufacturing, poisonous materials, environmental abuses, political machinations, and economics trumping safety concerns. It explores the century-long history of "fake silk," or cellulose viscose, used to produce such products as rayon textiles and tires, cellophane, and everyday kitchen sponges. The grim history of a product that crippled and even served a death sentence to many industry workers while also releasing toxic carbon disulfide into the environment. Viscose, an innovative and lucrative product first introduced in the early twentieth century, quickly became a multinational corporate enterprise. The author investigates industry practices from the beginning through two highly profitable world wars, the midcentury export of hazardous manufacturing to developing countries, and the current "greenwashing" of viscose as an eco-friendly product. Deeply researched and boldly presented, this book brings to light an industrial hazard whose egregious history ranks with those of asbestos, lead, and mercury. Paul David Blanc, M.D., is professor of medicine and holds the Endowed Chair in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. He is author of How Everyday Products Make People Sick and posts a "Household Hazards" blog for Psychology Today.

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