California Sues, Alleging 'Forever Chemicals' in 98% of Citizens' Blood

California's attorney general is suing over a dozen chemical companies, alleging they had a role in the "widespread toxic contamination" of the state from so-called "forever chemicals," which accumulate in the bodies of the people exposed to them.

Attorney General Rob Bonta filed the lawsuit Thursday in state court following a years-long investigation that found the companies continued producing the chemicals despite the threat they posed to the environment and human health. The lawsuit is the latest action in response to regulators and environmental groups raising alarms about the ubiquitous chemicals.

The 79-page lawsuit targets companies that manufactured, distributed, marketed or sold per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The wide range of chemicals have been used in products including food packaging, sports gear, rugs, non-stick frying pans and other consumer goods.

Called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down in the environment, they've been linked to health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight.

"As a direct result of Defendants' egregious misconduct, PFAS are present
throughout California: in drinking water sources; bays, lakes, streams, and rivers; groundwater; in fish, wildlife, and sediments; and even in the bloodstreams of Californians," the lawsuit states.

In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Bonta said that PFAS are estimated to be detectable in the bloodstreams of 98 percent of California's roughly 39 million people, and the state's environment "as a result of a decades-long campaign of deception."

Bonta singled out 3M Co. and DuPont in the statement, alleging the companies began testing the physiological and toxicological properties of PFAS as far back as the 1950s, yet misled the government and the public about their risk.

Daniel Turner, spokesman for DuPont, told Newsweek that "DuPont de Nemours has never manufactured PFOA, PFOS or firefighting foam," which has also been linked to forever chemicals. He also pointed out that DuPont de Nemours was established as an independent business in 2019 from the legacy company.

"While we don't comment on pending litigation, we believe these complaints are without merit, and the latest example of DuPont de Nemours being improperly named in litigation," the company said in the statement to Newsweek. "We look forward to vigorously defending our record of safety, health and environmental stewardship."

The lawsuit asks the companies to set up a fund "to investigate, remove, treat, remediate, clean up and otherwise mitigate PFAS contamination in California," along with unspecified amounts in penalties and compensation.

Newsweek has reached out to 3M Co. for comment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found evidence of "widespread exposure" of the U.S. population to PFAS, but the agency states on its website that finding a measurable amount of the chemical does not necessarily mean they'll "cause an adverse health effect."

In recent years, environmental groups and regulators have brought the pervasiveness of PFAS into focus. The Environmental Working Group in 2019 released an analysis showing that as many as 74 public water systems in California had been contaminated by PFAS.

North Carolina's attorney general in 2021 brought lawsuits against 14 manufacturers of a fire suppressant that contained PFAS, including DuPont and 3M.