Realists wanted to make people aware of the costs of industrial growth. which action was hastened largely because public opinion was aroused by a contemporary novel?

The Jungle--this novel was written by Upton Sinclair to reveal the dangers of the meat packing industry. 

The Jungle would lead to the investigation of meat packing in the US and reveal the dangers of the job as well as unclean conditions. Theodore Roosevelt would go on to create the Food and Drug Administration to monitor food production and set standards for foods and drugs consumed by people.