3M Knew PFAS Forever Chemicals in Its Firefighting Foams Were Toxic for Decades, Documents Reveal [Video]

For decades, 3M — a multibillion-dollar chemical company based in Minnesota — sold its firefighting foams as safe and biodegradable, while having knowledge that they contained toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to newly uncovered documents, reported The Guardian.

Starting in the 1960s and continuing until 2003, 3M’s firefighting foams contained perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), two types of PFAS “forever chemicals.”

The synthetic chemical compounds have been linked to a variety of health problems like thyroid disease, hormonal and fertility problems, high cholesterol and cancer. They are called “forever chemicals” because it can take thousands of years for them to break down in the environment.

The Guardian and Watershed Investigationsdiscovered that evidence of the inability of PFOS to naturally biodegrade began to surface as early as 1949. However, 3M continued to publish brochures and information for customers that said the firefighting foams would break down in the …