3M Knew Firefighting Foam Was Toxic: Decades of Deception Revealed
Newly released documents reveal that 3M, despite possessing evidence as early as 1949, falsely marketed its firefighting foams as biodegradable and harmless, even though they contained “forever chemicals” linked to serious health issues. These persistent PFAS chemicals, now banned in many countries, caused widespread environmental contamination. 3M’s misleading claims, spanning decades, facilitated the misuse of these foams globally and resulted in substantial settlements for related pollution. The company has since phased out PFAS production but some types of PFAS-containing foams remain in use.
John Q. Hosedrinker