ProPublica reveals 3M knew forever chemicals were in people's blood for decades
A new podcast investigation shows the company behind PFAS chemicals concealed knowledge of widespread contamination since the 1970s.
What to know
- 3M has known since the 1970s that PFAS forever chemicals were toxic and had contaminated human blood worldwide, but continued manufacturing them for decades.
- PFAS chemicals are now present in virtually all humans and animals on Earth; they do not break down and cause developmental, immune, thyroid, liver, hormonal, and cancer-related damage.
- ProPublica's decade-long investigation reveals how 3M kept this knowledge secret, transforming a containable problem into a global contamination crisis.
The dispute Whether current policy is making PFAS exposure worse or regulatory changes are being considered. · positions read across 219 posts and comments
3M deliberately poisoned the public for profit and faces no meaningful consequences.
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“"we knew it was in people's blood and kept making it" belongs in the corporate villain hall of fame”
robertpadg.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
This is a result of systemic prioritization of corporate profit over public health and environmental protection.
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“I have come to despise the words "shareholder value."”
paddyc99.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
3M contamination has caused direct harm to people living near their facilities.
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“They're making the whole community sick.”
ulysses2619.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Current government policy is making the situation worse by loosening regulations and allowing continued use of forever chemicals.
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“Trump admin wants to spray forever chemicals onto our land as herbicides. Don't let them kill us all.”
dwolf4.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
3M Chemical manufacturerSharon Lerner ProPublica reporter
The record 4 articles and posts · last 22 days
What people are saying 24 voices from 3 sites · best of 219 · verbatim
- Will 3M or its executives face criminal charges or significant penalties for knowingly contaminating the public?
- What is the current government policy on PFAS chemicals and will regulations be strengthened or weakened?
- Sep 7
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At first glance I thought the article was using Gary Busey as an example of the dangers of forever chemicals, and it seemed like a truly effective scare tactic.
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The West gets to whine about Russia and China and fucking North Korea, meanwhile 3M and other billionaires get to commit crimes against humanity and it gets a few headlines here and there. Sure capitalism is "the best system we got".
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It would explain the earlier onset of colon cancer in some people and the increase in diseases and illnesses in people as a whole.
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This story was laid out over 60 years ago. 😡 Rachel Carson wrote the 1962 landmark book Silent Spring, which exposed the dangerous ecological impacts of synthetic pesticides like DDT.
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We now know harmful “forever chemicals” are likely in the bodies of most people on Earth. Decades ago, 3M knew that these chemicals had seeped into the public’s blood, but they kept that a secret. One 3M scientist helped reporter Sharon Lerner understand how they kept it quiet for so long:
- Sep 5
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And so, you run up against a phenomenon every bit as natural as the forever durability as PFAS: Markets can respond to uncomfortable truths. Organizations of real humans? Not so much.
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> Is there any evidence …This is frustrating.At some point you have to admit you’re in denial.Or do some research yourself and at least post evidence that you think requires a higher amount of PFAS than you believe is reasonable.Imagine making the same argument about lead. Leaded gasoline was suspected environmental toxin since like the 1920’s…
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A team of New York University researchers estimated in 2018 that the costs of just two forever chemicals, PFOA and PFOS — in terms of disease burden, disability and health-care expenses — amounted to as much as $62 billion in a single year. This exceeds the current market value of 3M.
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Plus DuPont Chemicals dumped forever chemicals like PFOS directly into swimming lakes, rivers, and the ground where it also ended up in communities ground water.
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There's an excellent film with, and produced by, Mark Ruffalo ("Avengers"). "Dark Waters" about the environmental lawyer who exposed the whole fowl conspiracy by DuPont Chemicals, 3M, and other industrial chemical companies and the knowingly poisoning of the (American) people for decades (and still continuing). Most recommended !
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First, what happens to plant workers and surrounding communities matters.Second, yes, the pans are dangerous if you “abuse” them. By getting them to hot, using a mental utensil, or just using it after it has aged too much.
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> They have developmental effects, immune effects. Thyroid, liver, hormonal systems. Some cause cancer, kidney cancer, obesity. They bind to proteins in your blood, and they change how systems in your bodies work.Is there any evidence that the amounts found in humans using non stick pans, for example, and not those drinking water downstream from…
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"How does a company with thousands of employees, thousands of human beings, how do they keep a secret this big for this long? A secret that affects the lives of nearly every living being on the planet. Maybe, Sharon thought, this former 3M insider could explain." https://www. propublica.org/podcast/forever…
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Buckle up, the second Trump administration / Lee Zeldin's EPA approved 5 new PFAS / "forever chemicals" for use as pesticides to be sprayed on crops
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It seems you and I now have something in common inside our bodies: PFOS. I've finally found a point of connection between us.Out of curiosity as to why 3M would insert this commonality into me to help us share a sense of solidarity, I looked up some safety-related research papers. I came across a 3M technical paper by Seacat et al. (2002)[1]…
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The "interview" format is a bit difficult to read.Assuming they did keep it a secret, we had so many other hazards that were (and still are) in common use: lead, mercury, tobacco, chlordane, asbestos, etc... So even if true; even if you accept this as some conspiracy, it would seem to pale in comparison to the list I just gave. We seemingly…
- Sep 4
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How the Planet-Altering Disaster of # ForeverChemicals Was Kept Secret # 3M knew that harmful “forever chemicals” had seeped into people’s blood decades ago and continued making them. A former company scientist helped reporter Sharon Lerner understand how a global environmental crisis was kept under wraps. hosted by Jessica Lussenhop, with…
- Sep 3
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My son’s research team needed blood samples of US citizens who hadn’t been exposed to forever chemicals. They had to go back to military samples from the Korean Conflict (mid 1950’s) in order to secure clean samples.
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NEW on “Paper Trail”: We now know harmful “forever chemicals” are likely in the bodies of most people on Earth. Decades ago, 3M knew that these chemicals had seeped into the public’s blood, but they kept that a secret. One 3M scientist helped reporter Sharon Lerner understand how they kept it quiet for so long. Listen: https://www…
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minnesotareformer.com/2023/02/14/t... I graduated from the high school right down the street from the corporate campus. They’re making the whole community sick.
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I watched this programme, talk about scary, this is in the UK,
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“we knew it was in people’s blood and kept making it” belongs in the corporate villain hall of fame
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I have come to despise the words “shareholder value.”
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NEW on “Paper Trail”: More likely than not, there are ”forever chemicals” in your blood. Here’s the thing: 3M knew that these chemicals had seeped into people’s blood for decades — and continued making them. We found out how they kept this secret. Listen to the full episode: