Middlesex County native pens book on forever chemicals and their birth in New Jersey
New Jersey is the birthplace of "forever chemicals," said East Brunswick native Sharon Udasin, an author and environmental journalist with "The Hill."
Forever chemicals are the topic of her debut book, "Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America," which she co-authored alongside fellow journalist Rachel Frazin.
The book is available where books are sold online, the publisher's website and in some bookstores.
"Poisoning the Well" hit shelves April 10. Udasin and Frazin will be at Barnes & Noble in the Brunswick Square Mall in East Brunswick at 753 Route 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 10 to talk about forever chemicals and sign copies of their book.
In 1938, scientist Roy J. Plunkett accidentally created a substance − polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) − while working to create new alternatives for then-hazardous refrigerants in DuPont's Jackson Laboratory in the Deepwater section of Pennsville, New Jersey.
PTFE was later trademarked by DuPont in 1944 as Teflon. It was used as a lining on pots and pans, as a stain repellant on fabrics, in cosmetics, and on and in a myriad of other commonly used items.
Though made "safe" in 2013, the Teflon used for more than 50 years prior was discovered not to be safe and comes under the category of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), otherwise known as forever chemicals.
Udasin and Frazin found that forever chemicals have deadly repercussions through interviews and investigations, which they detail in their 264-page expose.
"Poisoning the Well" states that forever chemicals found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. The authors relay stories of individuals and communities impacted by forever chemicals.
More: Are military explosives buried where Middlesex County's $66M sports complex is planned?
Sometimes those actions were done knowingly by the military or large corporations − and then covered up, the book states.
The Garden State is not immune to PFAS contamination, as the state's levels are above the federal regulations, Udasin said.
"I've seen media reports that New Jersey is among the top two states in terms of PFAS contamination," Udasin said. "There are dozens of New Jersey utilities contaminated with the compounds, and this is because there's so much runoff from upstream, industrial sources and the giant military presence in New Jersey."
In "Poisoning the Well," Udasin and Frazin present how PFAS leaked into drinking water and highlight evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products.
Udasin would like "Poisoning the Well" to inform the public of the cover-up and devastation that forever chemicals have brought, but also to "give people some hope for the future."
"I would like to convey the idea that regular people were the ones who really propelled the activism on this issue forward," she said. "They took action on behalf of their communities, sometimes with their lives at risk. There is power in community movement. And there are also now some solutions."
Forever chemicals was not a topic that originally had been in Udasin's wheelhouse.
"One of my primary focuses has been water, but the contamination aspect was less so," said Udasin. "I wrote a series about some of the legal aspects with my co-author, and how people are trying to seek accountability for the contamination that they faced, and how that is very, very difficult, particularly when you're up against the federal government. After that, I said to Rachel that there isn't really a comprehensive book about these chemicals out there, even though they're so ubiquitous."
So, they wrote it themselves.
To author a book is a dream come true for Udasin.
"Just to have a book in general has always been a dream of mine since I was a child," she said. "But to have it on such an important issue, something that is so in the news now and affects so many people across this country − I really value that I was able to do that. It's a huge sense of pride and accomplishment."
Go: Udasin and Frazin will be at Barnes & Noble in the Brunswick Square Mall in East Brunswick at 753 Route 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 10 to talk about forever chemicals and sign copies of their book. The book is available where books are sold online, the publisher's website and in some bookstores.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning feature, news and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Poisoning the Well: Book covers forever chemicals, their NJ birthplace
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