Newly revealed documents show 3M marketed firefighting foams as biodegradable and safe despite knowing they contained PFAS, chemicals that persist in the environment and harm health.
Rachel Salvidge and Leana Hosea report for The Guardian.
In short:
- From the 1960s to 2003, 3M sold firefighting foams with PFAS chemicals, claiming they were biodegradable despite evidence to the contrary dating back to 1949.
- PFAS, linked to cancers and other health issues, have contaminated soils, water and human blood worldwide, with cleanup costs reaching billions of dollars.
- 3M phased out certain PFAS by 2000 and pledged to exit all PFAS manufacturing by 2025, but the company continues to face scrutiny over decades of pollution.
Key quote:
"Disposing of the foams in a sewer was disastrous as the PFAS went straight through the wastewater treatment process, either ending up in the effluent from the wastewater treatment plant or in the sludge. The effluent was discharged into rivers and the sludge would often be spread on agricultural land."
— Ian Cousins, PFAS expert at Stockholm University
Why this matters:
PFAS pollution is widespread and persistent, posing risks to public health and ecosystems. Regulatory gaps and misinformation about the chemicals’ biodegradability have exacerbated the problem, leaving communities and governments with costly cleanup efforts.
Read more: 3M scientist's findings on PFOS and company's suppression efforts revealed
