Comment by grues-dinner

Not just regular toxic chemicals, either, through the is plenty of that. Quite a bit of radiation too.

And companies that adulterate, misrepresent and obfuscate what they put in food as well. No-one is putting corn syrup or brominated vegetable oil in food with any intention other than money money money.

In fact, if I were an evil subgenius and really actively wanted to damage the IQs of the nation for some nefarious purpose, and it has to be substance-based, I'd avoid things with annoying oversight like public drinking water and vaccines and focus on food and pollution as a vector. If challenged, I just say "why do you hate my freedom to make a profit and provide jobs". Sure, the FDA and EPA exist, but even then you can get away with far, far more in those areas. Food wise, HFCS, BVO, etc, pollution wise, almost everything to with plastics or polymers, oil, coal, gas the list goes on and on.