A recent study has exposed the knowledge and actions of the major manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.” The study examined previously secret industry documents and revealed that companies such as DuPont and 3M were aware of the toxicity of these chemicals but chose to conceal the information.
The analysis focused on the strategies employed by the industry to delay public awareness and regulations regarding the harmful effects of PFAs. It found that as early as 1970, the industry knew that PFAs were highly toxic when inhaled and moderately toxic when ingested, a fact that was not made known to the public health community until forty years later. The industry utilized tactics similar to those used by tobacco and pharmaceutical industries, including suppressing unfavorable research and distorting public discourse.
The documents analyzed in the study were obtained through a lawsuit filed by lawyer Robert Bilott, who successfully sued DuPont for PFA contamination. These confidential documents, spanning a period of 45 years from 1961 to 2006, were subsequently donated to the Chemical Industry Documents Library at the University of California San Francisco.
Within these documents, researchers found internal studies conducted by DuPont that demonstrated evidence of the toxicity of PFAs based on animal and occupational studies. However, the company chose not to publish these studies and failed to report the findings to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, despite it being mandatory under the US Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. Some of the documents were explicitly marked as “confidential,” and there were instances where industry executives expressed a desire to destroy certain memos.
The study also outlined a timeline of industry knowledge regarding the dangers of PFAs while keeping the public uninformed. It revealed that as early as 1961, DuPont knew that PFAs caused organ enlargement in rats. In 1970, internal memos acknowledged the high toxicity of PFAs when inhaled and their moderate toxicity when ingested. In subsequent years, reports indicated a range of toxic effects, including birth defects in employees’ children.
The findings highlight the deliberate suppression of information by PFA manufacturers, underscoring the need for greater transparency and accountability in the chemical industry.
