INIMICAL and PERNICIOUS have much in common. They are both synonyms used to describe things that are harmful. And both of these challenging words have appeared in recent SAT vocabulary in context questions describing harmful threats to animals and the environment.
A previous Winning Word post described how increasing water temperatures and falling levels of oxygen are INIMICAL to pupfish living in small streams in the American southwest. Unfortunately, our environment also contains a number of PERNICIOUS substances capable of causing hidden damage to ecosystems and to human health.
The degradation of plastic waste into tiny microplastic fragments is becoming a particular source of concern. These PERNICIOUS pollutants can absorb other toxins and enter the food chain. Recent troubling reports indicate that PERNICIOUS microplastics are becoming a ubiquitous part of our marine environments.
PERNICIOUS – having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way