industries. The parallels, they found were striking, with the PFAS manufacturers suppressing unfavorable research, distorting public disclosure of research that does leak out, withholding information from employees who might be exposed to dangerous levels of PFAS, and not disclosing evidence of PFAS dangers to the Environmental Protection Agency as required under the Toxic Substances Control Act .
But DuPont knew better. In 1962 a company scientist conducting in-house studies on Teflon that were not released to the public conceded that the substance may be reactive to excessive heat and handling. “Teflon may not be so inert,” the scientist concluded. A non-industry paper in 1965 showed that Teflon was associated with “an epidemic of polymer fume fever,” an inhalation fever that occurs when Teflon is heated to 300° C . DuPont remained silent on those findings.
In 1991, researchers unaffiliated with the companies began detecting PFAS in ground water. The companies responded with a joint press release stating: “According to studies by DuPont and 3M Corporation, C8 has no known toxic or ill health effects in humans at concentration levels detected.”