Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS--a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of--poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives.

We learn that PFAS, the 'forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products--because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens.

It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation--and to each of us.

Author: Sharon Udasin,Rachel Frazin
Publisher: Island Press
Published: 04/10/2025
Pages: 264
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781642833324


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 03/01/2025 pg. 40

About the Author
Sharon Udasin is an environment reporter, based in Boulder, Colorado, who has been delving into water contamination and conservation issues for fifteen years. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has reported for The Hill, The Jerusalem Post, and The New York Jewish Week.

Rachel Frazin is a journalist, based in Washington, DC, who covers energy and environment politics and policy. She has reported for The Hill. The Daily Beast, Chicago Sun-Times, Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post.