Oregon Public Broadcasting

In the 1930s, companies like Dupont, Goodyear and Phillips Petroleum started tinkering around in their chemical labs, trying to come up with products that were more water-resistant, durable and flexible. 

They were successful, in that these days we take waterproof and long-lasting synthetic materials for granted.  But there was a price to these innovations. 

Over the past 80 years, the chemical compounds that make these materials have shown up in us, and there’s strong evidence they have not been good for our health. 

Elizabeth Grossman charts the proliferation of hazardous chemicals in our lives in her new book.  It’s called Chasing Molecules: Poisonous Products, Human Health and the Promise of Green Chemistry.