Author: Callie LyonsPublisher: Greenwood
ISBN: 9780275994525
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 191
Book Description
"It's everywhere. It's toxic. And it lasts forever." Asbestos? Nuclear waste? No. This statement, made by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2003, refers to a little-known but ubiquitous chemical compound whose trade name is C8. Manufactured by DuPont, it is used in the making of a plethora of stain-resistant, waterproof, and grease-resistant consumer products. The first members of the public to hear about C8, in January 2002, were the residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley, whose water supplies were found to contain detectable amounts. The EPA launched a multi-agency review of the manmade chemical, which became the largest investigation of its kind. As a local journalist, Lyons has covered the C8 story from the beginning. Here she explains how the danger of C8 first came to light, how the investigation progressed, and what remedies have been initiated.