Itīs long been known that, in certain concentrations, these compounds could be dangerous if they got into the water supply. The chemicals once seemed near magical, able to repel water, oil and stains. By the 1970s, DuPont and 3M had used them to develop Teflon and Scotchgard, and they slipped into an array of everyday products, from gum wrappers to sofas to frying pans to carpets. Known as perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, they were a boon to the military, too, which used them in foam that snuffed out explosive oil and fuel fires. Itīs long been known that, in certain concentrations, the compounds could be dangerous if they got into water or if people breathed dust or ate food that...
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