Book Review: Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on Our Children by Philip Shabecoff and Alice Shabecoff
Review by Dina Fine Maron
In this powerful investigative work, the Shabecoffs tell the stories of communities from Dickson, Tenn., to Pittsfield, Mass., where chemicals have seeped into water, air and bodies—debilitating children and leaving parents searching for answers.
The authors capture community efforts to connect clusters of disease to chemicals—including TCE, phthalates, chromium 5 and Teflon—and illuminate the underlying policy reasons for gaps in governmental oversight.
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Written in highly readable prose, the book critically examines why some of these chemicals have not been regulated in America and enumerates cases where companies settled with affected families out of court, paying off the families in exchange for “no fault” clauses.
Beyond identifying these important issues in consultation with experts, the Shabecoffs provide concrete safety tips on topics including purifying water, avoiding toxins in cars, keeping chemicals out of the home and buying safer plastics.