American babies are born carrying dozens of synthetic chemicals — some known to harm development — thanks to a century of industry spin and regulatory loopholes.
Mariah Blake writes in The Atlantic.
In short:
- DuPont launched synthetic materials like nylon to shift public opinion after being implicated in war profiteering and coup plots in the 1930s. Wartime investments expanded the synthetic industry, birthing products like Teflon and Scotchgard.
- These chemicals — often untested — slipped into homes and bodies with little oversight, as industry-funded scientists buried evidence of harm and regulators grandfathered in thousands of compounds without safety reviews.
- Despite mounting evidence since the 1950s of developmental, hormonal, and carcinogenic effects, aggressive lobbying delayed meaningful regulation, and PFAS — forever chemicals — are now found in bodies ranging from Arctic polar bears to newborn babies.
Key quote:
“Focusing the public’s attention on the chemicals’ toxicity would be ‘neither wise nor kind.’”
— Robert Kehoe, mid-20th century toxicologist and industry consultant who believed chemical secrecy was justified
Why this matters:
Mariah Blake's new book, They Poisoned the World, is the story of the past century, tucked into the lining of your raincoat and the blood of your grandchild. The world didn’t just wake up surrounded by synthetic chemicals — people were carefully, quietly ushered into it, one glossy ad campaign and backroom deal at a time. Synthetic chemicals, especially PFAS, are now linked to cancer, infertility, and neurological disorders — and they’re everywhere, from rainwater to breast milk. Chemical makers knew the harms and sought for decades to suppress that knowledge from the public. As the Trump administration now slashes federal budgets for science and appoints former chemical industry insiders to key positions within the Environmental Protection Agency, it's a cautionary tale with particular relevance to the moment.
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