Cleaning House: The Fight to Rid Our Homes of Toxic Chemicals

Dahl, an activist who has helped pass over 30 laws banning toxic chemicals, brings her decades of experience to bear in this revelatory and concise debut survey of the current state of the fight against toxic consumer products. She begins by recounting a shopping trip to Target with her two young children, noting the hazardous products she steers clear of and why; for instance, in choosing rain boots, she passes over “sparkly pink vinyl ones” for those made of rubber because vinyl is carcinogenic. Dahl goes on to identify three major factors hampering safety reforms: chemical companies’ reliance on toxicology, which she dubs an “old science” incapable of addressing “how invisible chemicals... behave in ways we had never expected them to”; the absence of meaningful federal oversight; and the pernicious impact of social media, where “anyone can be an ‘expert.’ ” The book provides readers with an action plan containing clear specifics on how to shop for toxin-free products, and gives an overview of the challenges to reform presented by the Trump administration, which has allied with the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade group dedicated to combatting regulations on toxic chemicals (Nancy Beck, currently the senior adviser in the EPA’s office of chemical safety, is a former ACC toxicologist). This informative guide will leave readers both disturbed and empowered. (Aug.)