Better Safe Than Sorry: How Consumers Navigate Exposure to Everyday Toxics was written by Norah McKendrick, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University. McKendrick begins by tracing the history of US government inadequacy when it comes to regulating chemicals used in agriculture, food production, and household goods. I found it empowering to be guided through milestone legislation from the past 100 years, learning how laws and restrictions on the sale and use of toxic chemicals were weakened, circumvented, or inadequate from the start.

 In order for a health practitioner to do the job well, educating oneself about the health effects of environmental contamination is required. I'm grateful for Sandra Steingraber's book Living Downstream- a research-based yet personal exploration of the health effects of environmental contaminants.

This is the first of several articles exploring the use of biosolids in agriculture and residential composting products. We will start with general info about contaminants in biosolids, which contaminants wastewater treatment can and cannot remove, and begin to explore how well plants absorb those contaminants.