3M Knew For Years That Forever Chemicals/PFAS Were Leaching Into Our Blood; Developed in 1950s [View all]

'How 3M knew for years that forever chemicals were leaching into our blood,' Execs Convinced Scientist They Were Safe, KCRW, Sep 13, 24.
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PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals that are resistant to water, grease, and heat. Developed in the 1950s, they're used in tons of consumer products including food packaging, cookware, carpets, clothing, shampoo, dental floss, and ski wax. Because PFAS are so difficult to break down, they're known as "forever chemicals."

These Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are in our air, our water, our land, and our blood. And yes, they're bad for us.

In a riveting and infuriating story for ProPublica and The New Yorker, investigative journalist Sharon Lerner discusses how 3M, the company that makes everything from Scotch tape and bandages to sponges and car window tints, knew for years that PFOS, a fluorochemical in the PFAS family, was making its way into human blood.

Lerner's story focuses on chemist Kris Hansen, who in 1996, while working for 3M, discovered PFOS in human blood. Hansen's superiors were skeptical of her findings. They gaslit her, moved her to other projects, and marginalized her within the company, effectively burying her research. 3M continued using PFOS in its products until 2000, leading to widespread environmental and health contamination.

Although PFOS is no longer used in the United States, the class of compounds known as PFAS includes thousands of chemicals that are literally everywhere — in cars, cell phones, paint, coatings, cosmetics. 3M now faces thousands of lawsuits over PFAS. Hansen's work eventually led to EPA regulations on PFAS in drinking water. ---
https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/cocktail-recipes-ancient-beers-plastics/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-sharon-lerner
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- 'How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe,' ProPublica, May 20, 2024,
https://www.propublica.org/article/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-inside-story