(Texas Scorecard) – Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued several large chemical manufacturers for skewing safety regulations in advertisements of popular brand names like Teflon and Scotchgard.
Specifically, 3M and DuPont are two major manufacturers of chemical products called polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS have been dubbed as “forever chemicals” because they are toxins that gradually build up in organisms over time—a process known as bioaccumulation. Human exposure to these chemicals reportedly has a correlation with both cancer and thyroid disease.
The attorney general alleged that both 3M and DuPont were well aware of these dangers yet continued to market them as safe in a variety of household products.
According to the lawsuit, products including food packaging, carpeting, cookware, upholstery, and cosmetics were sold to Texans under popular company brand names like Teflon, Stainmaster, and Scotchgard.
“These companies knew for decades that PFAS chemicals could cause serious harm to human health yet continued to advertise them as safe for household use around families and children,” Paxton argued.
“Texas is taking action to penalize these companies and hold them accountable for deceiving Texans into buying consumer products without vital information,” he continued.
This is not the first time that Paxton has led the charge against companies that expose humans to “forever chemicals.”
“Texas previously sued the manufacturers of a product containing PFAS called Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) for its harmful effect on Texas lands and waters,” his office explained. “Today’s lawsuit marks a new stage in PFAS litigation.”