Decades ago, Kris Hansen showed 3M that its PFAS chemicals were in people’s bodies. Her bosses halted her work. As the EPA now forces the removal of the chemicals from drinking water, she wrestles with the secrets that 3M kept from her and the world.
  • Optional@lemmy.world
    92·
    7 months ago

    Discovered during the Manhattan Project, these ‘waterproof’ chemicals bind to every living thing’s cells with only bad results. 3M knew since the late 70’s and has continued to manufacture enough to contaminate all the freshwater on Earth.

    In April, the EPA took two historic steps to reduce exposure to PFAS. It said that PFOS and PFOA are “likely to cause cancer” and that no level of either chemical is considered safe; it deemed them hazardous substances under the Superfund law, increasing the government’s power to force polluters to clean them up. The agency also set limits for six PFAS in drinking water. In a few years, when the EPA begins enforcing the new regulations, local utilities will be required to test their water and remove any amount of PFOS or PFOA which exceeds four parts per trillion — the equivalent of one drop dissolved in several Olympic swimming pools. 3M has produced enough PFOS and chemicals that degrade into PFOS to exceed this level in all of the freshwater on earth. Meanwhile, many other PFAS continue to be used, and companies are still developing new ones. Thousands of the compounds have been produced; the Department of Defense still depends on many for use in explosives, semiconductors, cleaning fluids and batteries. PFAS can be found in nonstick cookware, guitar strings, dental floss, makeup, hand sanitizer, brake fluid, ski wax, fishing lines and countless other products.

  • WhyDoYouPersist@lemmy.worldEnglish
    49·
    7 months ago

    Recently, 3M settled the lawsuit filed by cities and towns with polluted water. It will pay up to $12.5 billion to cover the costs of filtering out PFAS, depending on how many water systems need the chemicals removed. The settlement, however, doesn’t approach the scale of the problem. At least 45% of U.S. tap water is estimated to contain one or more forever chemicals, and one drinking water expert told me that the cost of removing them all would likely reach $100 billion.

    $100 billion? Seems low. That’s only five renovations to JFK.

    • WhyDoYouPersist@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      7 months ago

      Thanks for the push, well worth it. Solid investigative journalism. The Jim Johnson section did make my blood pressure rise, let’s be honest though: it’s probably just my PFAS.

    • Clanket@lemmy.world
      11·
      7 months ago

      Thanks, I was about to skip it. Brilliant article, and thank you to that woman for helping bring this to everyone’s attention. It’s unbelievable what some people are willing to do to make money. Fuck them, and anyone else that facilitates it by hiding secrets like this.

      • Optional@lemmy.world
        1·
        7 months ago

        I was really um . . . let’s say amazed . . by the CEO’s reaction to her presentation. Very . . . yeah.