We continue the story of PFAS by examining the fallout from the 1999 lawsuit brought against DuPont by Wilbur Tennant and lawyer Rob Bilott. Both 3M and DuPont knew that their chemicals were dangerous for far longer than they ever have admitted, and regular people have paid the price with their health and their lives.

Find references for this episode over at patreon.com/lethaldosepod (for free!) and at Kayla's blog, writerkaylawoods.wordpress.com.

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The history of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances stretches back to the Manhattan Project. In this episode, we cover discovery of PFAS and their use at major companies like 3M and DuPont up to their contamination of a cattle pasture in West Virginia that brought their toxicity into the eyes of the public.

Find references for this episode over at patreon.com/lethaldosepod (for free!) and at Kayla's blog, writerkaylawoods.wordpress.com.

You can also support us by subscribing to ad-free content on Spotify for $0.99, or subscribing on Patreon at the $2 or $5 level and also get bonus content.

If you like the show, leave us a rating or a review, and/or share it with a friend! Every little thing helps to get the word out and help us find our people.

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lethaldosepod/

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQd4E_g4mt9G-rg7vT8nwvw

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This is a Patreon re-released episode that can be found ad free at patreon.com/lethaldosepod. In this microdose, Venus and Kayla discuss the portrayal of the case between Pacific Gas and Electric and the city of Hinkley, CA as portrayed in the 2000 film.

Season 5 opens with the case of trial by media in the suspected murder of Cora Crippen in 1910. In the end, there are more questions than answers, and an innocent man stands accused.

Ask Crippen's Reprieve. (1910, 18 Nov 1910). The New York Times.

Burney, I., & Pemberton, N. (2010). The rise and fall of celebrity pathology. BMJ, 341(7786), 1319-1321.

Corallo, C. E., Whitfield, A., & Wu, A. (2009). Anticholinergic syndrome following an unintentional overdose of scopolamine. Ther Clin Risk Manag, 5, 719-723.

Crippen's Father Dies. (1910, 19 Nov 1910). The New York Times.

Crippen's Father Talks. (1910, 15 Jul 1910). The New York Times.

Executed in Error. (2008). youtube.com, PBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2qzyVT-DyQ

Foran, D. R., Wills, B. E., Kiley, B. M., Jackson, C. B., & Trestrail, J. H. I. (2010). The conviction of Dr. Crippen: New forensic findings in a century-old murder. J Forensic Sci, 8. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01532.x

Gives Crippen Alias, Too. (1910, 22 Aug 1910). The New York Times.

Grief of Crippen's Father. (1910, 02 Aug 1910). The New York Times.

Hawley Crippen. (2008). PBS. Retrieved 17 Dec 2022 from https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/hawley-crippen/199/

Hodgson, M. (2007). 100 years on, DNA casts doubt on Crippen case. The Guardian. Retrieved 18 Dec 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/oct/17/ukcrime.science

Keys, T. E. (1996). "Twilight" Sleep. In The History of Surgical Anesthesia. Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.

McVey, W. M. B. (1894). Chemical importance of the ptomaines or cadaveric alkaloids in medicolegal analysis. Boston Med Surg J, 131, 458-460.

Moore, A. D., Towghi, F., Ashford, H. R., Dune, T., & Pithavadian, R. (2021). The global proliferation of radical gynaecological surgeries: A history of the present. Hist and Anthro, 25. https://doi.org/10.1080/02757206.2021.1987232

Race Over Ocean to Catch Crippen. (1910, 24 Jul 1910). The New York Times.

Riad, M., & Hithe, C. C. (2022). Scopolamine. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554397/

Says Mrs. Crippen is Alive. (1910, 07 Nov 1910). The New York Times.

Smith, D. J. (2005). Supper with the Crippens. Orion Books.

Woman Thought to Be Belle Elmore Found. (1910, 13 Nov 1910). Los Angeles Herald.

Young, F. (Ed.). (1991). The Trial of Hawley Harvey Crippen. The Notable Trials Library.

The story of Aum Shinrikyo culminates in the infamous attack on the Tokyo subway with sarin gas and then weeks of raiding Aum facilities and years of trials. This is also our last episode of season 4; we will return in 2023 with season 5! Check us out on social media until then, or find us on Patreon!

Fackler, M. (2012). Tokyo Gas Attack Arrest Reawakens National Trauma. The New York Times. Retrieved 07 Dec 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/08/world/asia/tokyo-gas-attack-arrest-reawakens-national-trauma.html 

Faith in Aum guru resurges as Joyu moves to form his own group. (2007). Religion News Blog. https://www.religionnewsblog.com/17375/aum-shinrikyo-3

Former Aum Shinrikyo cult spokesman sets up new group. (2007). Religion News Blog. https://www.religionnewsblog.com/18181/hikari-no-wa

Griffiths, J. (2018). Japanese cult leader Shoko Asahara executed for Tokyo sarin attack. CNN. Retrieved 06 Dec 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/05/asia/japan-aum-shinriyko-leader-executed-intl/index.html 

Gunaratna, R. (2018). Aum Shinrikyo's Rise, Fall and Revival. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, 10(8), 1-6. 

Japanese Ruling Rejects Banning of Cult. (1997, 01 Feb 1997). The New York Times. 

Kageyama, Y. (1998). Japanese Cult Member Gets Life. Retrieved 06 Dec 2022, from https://apnews.com/article/9004eccd45b75e01c26f65291d658601 

Kaplan, D. E., & Marshall, A. (1996). The Cult at the End of the World. Crown Publishers, Inc. 

Kristof, N. D. (1995a, 27 Apr 1995). Japan Police Arrest 2 Found Beneath Sect Headquarters. The New York Times, 1, 11. 

Kristof, N. D. (1995b, 26 Oct 1995). Japanese Cult Leader Dismisses Lawyer, Gaining Delay in Trial. The New York Times. 

Kristof, N. D. (1995c, 07 Jun 1995). Japanese Indict Leader of Cult in Gas Murders. The New York Times. 

Kristof, N. D. (1995d, 07 May 1995). Japanese Police Foil Gas Attck in Subway. The New York Times. 

Kristof, N. D. (1995e, 31 Oct 1995). Tokyo Court Orders Disbanding of Sect in Subway Nerve Gas Case. The New York Times. 

Kristof, N. D. (1996, 08 Nov 1996). Tokyo Suspect in Subway Raid Erupts in Court. The New York Times. 

Kuchikomi. (2012). Aum spinoffs still out there, and as devious as ever. Japan Today. Retrieved 07 Dec 2022, from https://japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/aum-spinoffs-still-out-there-and-as-devious-as-ever 

Murakami, H. (2003). Underground (A. Birnbaum & P. Gabriel, Trans.). Vintage 

Onishi, N. (2004). After 8-Year Trial in Japan, Cultist is Sentenced to Death. The New York Times. Retrieved 07 Dec 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/28/world/after-8-year-trial-in-japan-cultist-is-sentenced-to-death.html 

Pollack, A. (1995, 07 Sep 1995). Japanese Police Find Body of a Lawyer Believed Killed by Cult. The New York Times. 

Sims, C. (1999a, 03 Nov 1999). Japan Drafts Bill to Control Some Cults By Year's End. The New York Times. 

Sims, C. (1999b, 12 Sep 1999). To Get Cult To Leave, Japan Cities Buy It Out. The New York Times. 

Sims, C. (2000, 28 Feb 2000). Under Fire, Japan Sect Starts Over. The New York Times. 

Tokyo 1995 sarin attack: Aum Shinrikyo cult trials end. (2011). BBC. Retrieved 06 Dec 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-15815056 

Tucker, J. B. (2006). War of Nerves: Chemical Warfare from World War I to Al-Qaeda. Pantheon Books. 

WuDunn, S. (1995, 21 Jun 1995). Cultist Hijacks Japanese Jetliner, Demanding the Release of Leader. The New York Times. 

WuDunn, S. (1997, 25 Apr 1997). Cult Guru Accused in Tokyo Subway Attack Pleads Not Guilty. The New York Times. 

The story of the doomsday cult continues, beginning with their first experiments with sarin and other chemical warfare agents in 1993.

(1) Tucker, J. B. War of Nerves: Chemical Warfare from World War I to Al-Qaeda; Pantheon Books, 2006.

(2) Medical Management of Chemical Casualties. Office, C. C. C., Ed.; U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense: Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland 21010, 1995.

(3) Review of Acute Human-Toxicity Estimates for GB (Sarin). In Review of Acute Human-Toxicity Estimates for Selected Chemical-Warfare Agents; National Academies Press (US), 1997.

(4) Kaplan, D. E.; Marshall, A. The Cult at the End of the World; Crown Publishers, Inc., 1996.

(5) Sarin (GB): Nerve Agent. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750001.html#:~:text=ANTIDOTE%3A%20Atropine%20and%20pralidoxime%20chloride,following%20exposure%20to%20be%20effective. (accessed 2022 10 Nov 2022).

(6) Worek, F.; Thiermann, H.; Wille, T. Oximes in organophosphate poisoning: 60 years of hope and despair. Chemico-Biological Interactions 2016, 259, 93-98.

(7) Peter, J. V.; Moran, J. L.; Graham, P. Oxime therapy and outcomes in human organophosphate poisoning: An evaluation using meta-analytic techniques. Crit Care Med 2006, 34 (2), 502-510.

(8) Phosgene Health and Safety Guide; World Health Organization, inchem.org, 1998. https://inchem.org/documents/hsg/hsg/hsg106.htm#SectionNumber:3.1.

(9) Phosgene. Agency, E. P., Ed.; epa.gov, 2000.

(10) Borak, J.; Diller, W. F. Phosgene exposure: Mechanisms of injury and treatment strategies. J Occ Envior Med 2001, 43 (2), 110-119.

(11) U.S. Army Activity in the U.S. Biological Warfare Programs. Army, Ed.; 1977; Vol. I.

Before the sarin gas attacks in 1995, the cult members of Aum Shinrikyo were busy experimenting with biochemical warfare agents at the direction of their leader, Shoko Asahara.

(1) Kaplan, D. E.; Marshall, A. The Cult at the End of the World; Crown Publishers, Inc., 1996.

(2) Gunaratna, R. Aum Shinrikyo's Rise, Fall and Revival. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses 2018, 10 (8), 1-6.

(3) Metraux, D. A. Religious Terrorism in Japan: The Appeal of Aum Shinrikyo. Asian Survey 1995, 35 (12).

(4) Tucker, J. B. War of Nerves: Chemical Warfare from World War I to Al-Qaeda; Pantheon Books, 2006.

(5) Pollack, A. Japanese Police Find Body of a Lawyer Believed Killed by Cult. The New York Times, 07 Sep 1995, 1995.

(6) Saxena, K. Clinical features and management of poisoning due to potassium chloride. Med Toxicol Adverse Drug Exp 1989, 4 (6), 429-443.

(7) U.S. Army Activity in the U.S. Biological Warfare Programs. Army, Ed.; 1977; Vol. I.

(8) Goel, A. K. Anthrax: A disease of biowarfare and public health importance. World J Clin Cases 2015, 3 (1), 20-33.

(9) Webb, G. F. A silent bomb: The risk of anthrax as a weapon of mass destruction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2003, 100 (8), 4355-4356.

(10) Anthrax. Mayo Clinic, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anthrax/symptoms-causes/syc-20356203(accessed 2022 25 Oct 2022).

(11) Keim, P.; Smith, K. L.; Keys, C.; Takahashi, H.; Kurata, T.; Kaufmann, A. Molecular investigation of the Aum Shinrikyo anthrax release in Kameido, Japan. J Clin Microbiol 2001, 39 (12), 4566-4567.

(12) Clinical Framework and Medical Countermeasure Use During an Anthrax Mass-Casualty Incident; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr6404.pdf.

We're wrapping up this month's cyanide series with the 1986 murders of Sue Snow and Bruce Nickell by tainted Excedrin. For more information on cyanide in product tampering, check out the Chicago Tylenol Murders on Patreon. Or you can just listen to this episode and we'll touch on it a bit, too. You do you. Just be nice to others.

(1) Olson, G. Bitter Almonds: The True Story of Mothers, Daughters, and the Seattle Cyanide Murders; St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2006.

(2) Turner, W. Cyanide Death Halts the Sale of Excedrin Capsules. The New York Times, 18 Jun 1986, 1986.

(3) Poisoned Excedrin Suspected in 2d Seattle Death. The New York Times, 19 Jun 1986, 1986, 28.

(4) Donahan, R. S02:E11 - Something's Fishy. In Forensic Files, 1997.

(5) Seattle Jurors Indict Woman in Cyanide Poisoning Deaths. The New York Times, 10 Dec 1987, 1987, 23.

(6) Poison Pill Trial Winding to Close. The New York Times, 01 May 1988, 1988, 29.

(7) Sentence of 90 Years Imposed in 2 Deaths by Tainted Capsules. The New York Times, 18 June 1988, 1988.

(8) O.C. Woman Gets Big Reward in Mom's Conviction. In Los Angeles Times, latimes.com, 1990.

(9) Carter, M. Stella Nickell, serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills, killing 2, seeks release from prison. In The Seattle Times, seattletimes.com, 2022.

(10) Carter, M. Judge won't release WA woman serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills. In Yakima Herald-Public, yakimaherald.com, 2022.

In the second episode of our cyanide series, we talk about the rise and fall of Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple, a cult that ended in a massacre of 918 people in 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana, South America.

(1) Guinn, J. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple; Simon & Schuster, 2017.

(2) Layton, D. Seductive Poison: a Jonestown survivor's story of life and death in the Peoples Temple; Anchor Books, 1998.

(3) Nelson, S. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple. In American Experience, PBS: 2007.

(4) Kilduff, M.; Tracy, P. Inside Peoples Temple. In New West, 1977; pp 30-38.

(5) Truth and Lies: Jonestown, Paradise Lost. Hulu: 2018.

(6) Rittenmeyer, N. Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre. A&E: 2018.

(7) Moore, A. Memo from Annie Moore. Jones, J., Ed.; Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple: jonestown.sdsu.edu, 1978.

(8) Chaikin, P. Phyllis Chaikin on Revolutionary Suicide. Jones, J., Ed.; Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple: jonestown.sdsu.edu, 1978.

(9) Scheeres, J. The Jonestown Doctor Works Out How to Kill Everyone With Cyanide. In Newsweek, newsweek.com, 2021.

(10) Schacht, L. Larry Schacht Memo to Jim Jones. Jones, J., Ed.; Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple: jonestown.sdsu.edu, 1978.

(11) Jones, J. Q 289. Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple: 1978.

(12) Moore, A. Annie Moore Memo to Jim Jones, November 5, 1978. Jones, J., Ed.; Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple: jonestown.sdsu.edu, 1978.

(13) Kidron, A.; Nguyen, H. Phenothiazine; Treasure Island, 2022.

(14) Medical Management of Chemical Casualties. Office, C. C. C., Ed.; U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense: Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland 21010, 1995.

(15) Graham, J.; Traylor, J. Cyanide Toxicity; StatPearls [Internet], 2022.

(16) Vidal, D. Jones's Son, in a Mocking Tone, Tells Court He Slew 4 in Family. The New York Times, 19 Dec, 1978.

(17) Baselt, R. C. Cyanide. In Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man, 2nd ed.; Biomedical Publications, 1982.

(18) Bell, F. Larry Layton and the Peoples Temple: Twenty-Five Years Later. Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple, 2013. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=16973(accessed 27 Sep 2022).

(19) Greiser, M. M. Understanding Cult Membership: Beyond "Drinking the Kool-Aid". Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple, 2019. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=93938(accessed 27 Sep 2022).

(20) Woollett, L. E. The C-word: What are we saying when we talk about cults? In The Guardian, theguardian.com, 2018.

In this episode, we're covering the use of the cyanide-containing pesticide Zyklon B by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Shit gets heavy.

(1) Atkinson, J. Ethnic cleansing in Roman Alexandria in 38. Acta Classica 2006, 49, 31-54.

(2) Jeffreys, D. Hell's Cartel; Bloomsbury, 2009.

(3) Hayes, P. From Cooperation to Complicity: Degussa in the Third Reich; Cambridge University Press, 2004.

(4) Friedlander, H. The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution; The University of North Carolina Press, 1995.

(5) Begen, D. L. War & Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust; Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2009.

(6) Shirer, W. L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; Simon and Schuster, 1960.