In Caroline Fraser’s new book Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers (Penguin Press), a chilling but overlooked factor emerges from the shadows of true crime history: environmental toxins. 1

Fraser reveals that three of history’s most notorious serial killers: Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and Gary Ridgeway (a.k.a. The Green River Killer) spent significant parts of their lives in Tacoma, Washington — a city that, at the time, was blanketed in dangerously high levels of arsenic and lead pollution. These toxic metals were released into the air and soil by local industry and pesticide use, creating a hazardous environment during the killers’ formative years. This isn’t mere speculation; Fraser (a Pulitzer prize winner) painstakingly correlates the presence of these heavy metals with the killers’ exposure.

Thankfully, we no longer face the kind of persistent arsenic and lead pollution that plagued Tacoma decades ago. Regulations have dramatically reduced those airborne poisons. However, a new and insidious pollutant has surged across the nation: wildfire smoke.

We don’t mean to sound alarmist. Wildfire smoke won’t turn entire populations into serial killers. But recent research is revealing concerning links between wildfire smoke exposure and neurological health, including an increased risk of dementia and other brain diseases.

 

Poison in the Air, Monsters in the Making

Caroline Fraser’s Murderland doesn’t sensationalize—it scrutinizes. Through detailed historical and environmental research, Fraser uncovers a disturbing pattern: Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and Gary Ridgway all spent formative years in Tacoma, Washington, at the exact time when the region’s air, water, and soil were saturated with industrial toxins.

“Tacoma’s air was heavy with arsenic and lead dust from the nearby ASARCO copper smelter, and the soil was laced with residues from decades of pesticide use,” Fraser writes. “By the mid-20th century, it was one of the most contaminated areas in the country—and it was home to not one but three of America’s most notorious serial murderers.”

  • Charles Manson served time in prison on McNeil Island during his 20s, just off Tacoma’s coast, where the wind carried toxic fallout from the smelter directly onto the prison yard.
  • Ted Bundy’s family moved to Tacoma in 1955, placing him in the heart of the contamination zone during his teenage years.
  • Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, grew up in a South Seattle suburb that sat directly under the ASARCO pollution plume.

While Fraser is careful not to claim causation (correlation is not causation), she presents a compelling case that environmental toxins may have shaped neurological development and behavioral outcomes in ways we’re only beginning to understand.

It’s a reminder that the effects of pollution aren’t always immediately visible—but they are often deeply consequential.

 

From Heavy Metals to Wildfire Smoke: The New Threat in Our Air

The air today may no longer carry the heavy burden of industrial lead or arsenic, but it is far from clean. A new pollutant is filling our skies: wildfire smoke.

Unlike legacy toxins released from factories or leaded gasoline, wildfire smoke is not something we can legislate out of existence. It is erratic, fast-moving, and impossible to contain. Once a fire starts—whether sparked by lightning, human activity, or downed power lines—there’s no stopping the smoke it unleashes. It rides the jet stream, crossing state lines and national borders with ease.

This means even communities far from fire zones are vulnerable. Take Western New York, for example—home to Austin Air and more accustomed to lake-effect snow than smoke-choked skies—yet in the past few years, thick haze from Canadian wildfires has swept over Buffalo and surrounding areas, bringing with it the harmful fine particles known as PM2.5.

And this isn’t just a seasonal nuisance. As we first reported in our 2023 blog post: wildfires have reversed twenty years of clean air progress, setting public health back in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Millions of people now breathe air that would have once triggered emergency health alerts—not because of industrial pollution, but because wildfire season has become longer, more intense, and more relentless.

 

Wildfire Smoke and the Brain: A New Frontier of Concern

Let’s be clear—wildfire smoke is not going to turn anyone into a serial killer. But if we’ve learned anything from the environmental backstory of Murderland, it’s that air pollution—especially when unrecognized or unchecked—can leave a mark on both individual lives and public health. Today’s threat is PM2.5—tiny particles generated by wildfire smoke that are small enough to slip through the lungs and enter the bloodstream, where they wreak havoc on the body. 

One of the most concerning discoveries from recent research is how wildfire smoke affects the brain. Scientists are now linking short- and long-term smoke exposure to neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, and an increased risk of dementia, as outlined in a recent article for Gizmodo.

A groundbreaking 2024 study published in JAMA Neurology revealed that each small increase in wildfire-specific PM2.5 raised the risk of dementia by 18%.2 That’s eighteen times higher than the same increase from non-wildfire sources.

And the threat isn’t limited to memory loss. Mental health also takes a hit. A recently published analysis from JAMA Network Open found significant increases in emergency room visits for depression, anxiety, and mood disorders during and after major wildfire smoke events.3 As it turns out, the smoke doesn’t just seep into our homes—it seeps into our minds.

Infographic explaining: We no longer face arsenic and lead in the air. But wildfire smoke is here—and it’s dangerous. Linked to: dementia, mood disorders, and neurological damage.” There are some decorative elements in light blue. The words “Austin Air Systems” are in the bottom center in royal blue.

What’s in That Smoke? A Toxic Cocktail

When wildfires burn through forests, they don’t just consume trees. They also ignite homes, cars, gas stations, industrial sites, and toxic waste, sending a swirl of dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere. These fires release a poisonous mix of:

  • PM2.5 (fine particulate matter)
  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  • Heavy metals from burning electronics or vehicle frames
  • Plastic fumes
  • Pathogens, including bacteria and fungi carried on soil particles

Inhaling this chemical cocktail, even for a short time, can trigger systemic inflammation, respiratory distress, cardiovascular issues—and, as research now shows, neurological harm.

Infographic explaining: “What's in Wildfire Smoke? PM2.5, heavy metals, VOCs, plastic fumes, fungal pathogens: A toxic mix with long-term consequences…” There are some decorative elements in light blue. The words “Austin Air Systems” are in the bottom center in royal blue.

What You Can Do During a Wildfire Smoke Event

With wildfire season just getting started (June 1st was the official start) and smoke from Canada currently drifting across the U.S., here’s a quick guide to protect your health:

✅ DO:

  • Check air quality daily via sites like AirNow.gov
  • Stay indoors when air quality is poor (AQI over 100 or labeled “unhealthy”)
  • Wear an N95 or P100 mask if you must go outside
  • Seal windows and doors and turn off outdoor air intake if using central AC
  • Create a clean room—a space with a portable air purifier, like the Austin Air HealthMate Plus, and minimal outside air exposure

❌ DON’T:

  • Don’t assume “it smells fine” means it’s safe—PM2.5 is often odorless
  • Don’t exercise outdoors when smoke is visible or AQI is high
  • Don’t rely on cloth masks or bandanas—they won’t filter fine particles
  • Don’t ignore symptoms like shortness of breath, confusion, or fatigue—these can signal overexposure

Infographic explaining how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. DO: Check air quality daily via sites like AirNow.gov Stay indoors when air quality is poor (AQI over 100 or labeled “unhealthy”) Wear an N95 or P100 mask if you must go outside Seal windows and doors and turn off outdoor air intake if using central AC Create a clean room—a space with a portable air purifier, like the Austin Air HealthMate Plus, and minimal outside air exposure DON’T: Don’t assume “it smells fine” means it’s safe—PM2.5 is often odorless Don’t exercise outdoors when smoke is visible or AQI is high Don’t rely on cloth masks or bandanas—they won’t filter fine particles Don’t ignore symptoms like shortness of breath, confusion, or fatigue—these can signal overexposure

Looking Ahead

Murderland shows us what could happen when communities fail to recognize the long-term impact of invisible toxins. Today, we face a new generation of environmental hazards—drifting not from smokestacks but from burning landscapes.

Wildfire smoke is no longer a distant or seasonal concern. It’s a national public health crisis—one that calls for urgency, research, and individual action. The air we breathe shapes our bodies, minds, and futures. Let’s make sure it’s safe, for everybody’s sake.

 

 

REFERENCES

1 Fraser, C. (2025). Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers. Penguin Press.

2 Elser  H, Frankland  TB, Chen  C,  et al. (2024 November 25).  Wildfire smoke exposure and incident dementia.   JAMA Neurol. 82;(1):40-48. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.4058.

3 Jung YS, Johnson MM, Burke M, et al. (2025 April 4). Fine Particulate Matter From 2020 California Wildfires and Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(4):e253326. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.3326.

 

Austin Team
Austin Team