• 3M marketed its firefighting foams as safe and biodegradable for decades, despite knowing they contained toxic PFAS chemicals that persist in the environment.
• Evidence from as early as 1949 showed PFAS did not degrade, yet 3M continued promoting its products as environmentally neutral until the 1990s.
• PFAS contamination, linked to thyroid disease, cancer, and other health issues, is now found in water, soil, animals, and human blood worldwide.
• Misleading claims led to widespread environmental damage, including disposal of PFAS in rivers and agricultural fields, described as “disastrous” by experts.
• 3M paid $10 billion in settlements for PFAS contamination but has not admitted liability and plans to cease PFAS production by 2025.
• PFOS firefighting foams were banned in the UK in 2011, but PFOA foams will not be fully restricted until 2025, and other PFAS compounds remain in use.
• Experts warn that PFAS pollution represents a global public health crisis with no quick fixes due to the chemicals’ extreme persistence.
Were they ever claimed to be non-toxic? I feel like it may be a case of “this stuff is bad for you, but being lit on fire is significantly worse.”