Q. Caroline Fraser’s recent book links the emergence of serial killers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest during the 1970s–80s to which form of environmental pollution?
Answer: Lead pollution from smelters
Notes: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Fraser’s new book explores the potential link between lead pollution from the ASARCO copper smelter in Tacoma, Washington and the rise of notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway. The hypothesis suggests that high exposure to lead in soils may have contributed to increased crime rates. Children growing up in polluted areas were especially vulnerable due to lead’s impact on brain development. The idea echoes economist Jessica Wolpaw Reyes’ research showing a correlation between lead exposure and higher adult crime rates.