PFAS cover-up
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Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in the creation of Teflon, a strong material that was used excessively in the 20th century. PFAS are however noted to be "forever chemicals", which cannot break down and have been known to cause cancer in sizes as small as 4 parts per trillion (the equivalent of 1 drop within several swimming pools), and have been leeched into the environment for nearly a century. Companies such as 3M and DuPont have both been burying this information and spreading harmful misinformation regarding the safety of PFAS.
Background
Just before the 2nd world war, consumers were dying due to the refrigerants used in electric refrigerators being lethal, often being called the silent killer by both consumers and the media during the time. Because of this, companies were attempting to create a safer alternative, and through a mistake involving the storage of tetrafluoroethylene gas inside of cylinders in 1939, the waxy solid polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon was discovered to be extremely resistant, and became a valuable material, especially in the production of fittings used during the Manhattan project.
As the excessive heat of creating Teflon in large quantities was becoming lethal, to the point where an explosion took multiple workers' lives, work was put into producing a way to generate Teflon in a water-cooled environment. This had led to the creation polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as PFOS or PFOA, which both increased the safety of producing Teflon, and also the added benefit creating products that could be coated with Teflon.
Burial of research
Lawsuits
Consumer response
In recent years, consumers have shown backlash towards companies such as 3M and DuPont who are responsible for both irresponsibly dumping wasted PFAS into the environment, and also burying the harmful risks of PFAS on both humans and the environment. Veritasium released a documentary covering the history of PFAS and their concerns over the harm it has caused for billions of people.
References