PFAS Birth Defects Revelation

A story about how DuPont discovered the dangers of PFAS chemicals through their employees, which has now created a major business opportunity as companies move away from these "forever chemicals."

"In the 1940s, DuPont was tasked by the government to create a sealant for atomic bombs. They needed a sealant for gaskets - the parts that put two pipes together so nothing leaks. They created this incredibly strong chemical with one of the strongest bonds in chemistry.

After the war ended, they wondered what to do with this chemical. They decided to make pans with it, creating Teflon. They marketed it saying you could burn food on the pan and just wipe it off. It was a massive hit from the 1940s until today.

But they noticed their workers on the production line were getting sick. They tested it on rats, which developed enlarged kidneys. They tested it on monkeys, and it killed them. After 20 years of making this chemical, in the 1970s, women working in the factory were having kids born with defects - some kids were born with one nostril or had eye issues. They tested these kids and found PFAS in their spines, being passed from mother to child.

The FDA didn't call them out on it and they continued producing it. Now we know these 'forever chemicals' are in everything - cookware, clothing like rain jackets and workout clothes, and all food packaging like pizza boxes and soda cans. They don't break down, and basically 100% of Americans have PFAS in their bodies because it's in our water.

Recently, DuPont lost a $1 billion class action lawsuit. The EPA just announced they're banning companies like DuPont, Gore, and 3M from putting this in water and requiring local water companies to test for it and remove it."