Lethal Dose

In 1985, bottles of Oronamin C containing the herbicide paraquat poisoned 35 people in Japan and killed 12, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the paraquat problem.

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The happy chemical might not be the happy chemical after all, and it could actually kill you. Libby Zion probably didn't know this back in 1984, but her doctors should have.

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The Teacup Poisoner was a chemistry bro/edge lord serial killer (aren't they all?) responsible for the murder of at least three people with thallium, but that wasn't his only poison of choice.

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In this conclusion to our series on PFAS chemicals, Venus and Kayla discuss the current status of PFAS regulations around the world, where they have been detected, and how they impact all of us.

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

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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(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.

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