Skeptical of her parents' decision to re-side their home with polyvinyl chloride, Judith Helfand set out to find the truth behind the toxic effects of the material. Helfland & Daniel Gold travel from Long Island to Louisiana to Venice Italy, where thirty-one executives from a PVC-producing company now await trial for manslaughter.

Tells the story of the dawn of forensic investigation, focusing on a number of cases of death by poisoning as well as accidental death by exposure to deadly chemicals. Examines the pioneering efforts of New York's first medical examiner Charles Norris and his assistant, toxicologist Alexander Gettler.

Witness the life of passionate biologist and environmentalist, Rachel Carson, and how she exposed the effects of the unregulated use of pesticides and herbicides by the federal government, and sparked a revolution in environmental policy.