Following World War II, chemical companies and agricultural experts promoted the use of synthetic chemicals as pesticides on weeds and insects. It was, Pete Daniel points out, a convenient way for companies to apply their wartime research to the domestic market. In Toxic Drift, Daniel documents the particularly disastrous effects this campaign had on the South's public health and environment, exposing the careless mentality that allowed pesticide application to swerve out of control. The quest to destroy pests, Daniel contends, unfortunately outran research on insect resistance, ignored environmental damage, and downplayed the dangers of residue accumulation and threats to fish, wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Using legal sources, archival records, newspapers, and congressional hearings, Daniel constructs a moving, fact-filled account of the use, abuse, and regulation of pesticides from World War II until 1970.

Following World War II, chemical companie and agricultural expert promoted the ue of ynthetic chemical a peticide on weed and inect. It wa, Pete Daniel point out, a convenient way for companie to apply their wartime reearch to the dometic market. In Toxic Drift, Daniel document the particularly diatrou effect thi campaign had on the outh' public health and environment, expoing the carele mentality that allowed peticide application to werve out of control. The quet to detroy pet, Daniel contend, unfortunately outran reearch on inect reitance, ignored environmental damage, and downplayed the danger of reidue accumulation and threat to fih, wildlife, dometic animal, and human. Uing legal ource, archival record, newpaper, and congreional hearing, Daniel contruct a moving, fact-filled account of the ue, abue, and regulation of peticide from World War II until 1970.