# "Astronomical" lawsuits against chemical manufacturers **URL:** \ **Category:** Macro Economic Trends and Risks\ **Created:** [May 28, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541 "2024-05-28T15:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WendyBG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/wendybg/32/67464_2.png) [@WendyBG](https://discussion.fool.com/u/WendyBG)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/1 "2024-05-28T15:35:21Z")
[https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/climate/pfas-forever-chemicals-industry-lawsuits.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/climate/pfas-forever-chemicals-industry-lawsuits.html) # Lawyers to Plastics Makers: Prepare for ‘Astronomical’ PFAS Lawsuits At an industry presentation about dangerous “forever chemicals,” lawyers predicted a wave of lawsuits that could dwarf asbestos litigation, audio from the event revealed. By [Hiroko Tabuchi](https://www.nytimes.com/by/hiroko-tabuchi), The New York Times, May 28, 2024 … PFAS, the [“forever chemicals”](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/10/climate/six-things-to-know-about-forever-chemicals.html) that have emerged as one of the major pollution issues of our time. Used for decades in countless everyday objects — cosmetics, takeout containers, frying pans — PFAS have been linked to serious health risks including cancer. Last month the federal government said several types of PFAS must be [removed from the drinking water of hundreds of millions of Americans](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/10/climate/epa-pfas-drinking-water.html)… A wide swathe of the chemicals, plastics and related industries are gearing up to fight a surge in litigation related to PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of nearly 15,000 versatile synthetic chemicals linked to serious health problems. PFAS chemicals, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been detected almost everywhere scientists have looked: in drinking water, in [rain falling over the Great Lakes](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c10098), even in [Antarctic snow](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02592). They are thought to be [present in the blood of nearly every American](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4483690/). Researchers have linked exposure to PFAS to testicular and kidney cancers, developmental delays in children, decreased fertility, liver damage and thyroid disease. The man-made chemicals are so long-lasting that scientists haven’t been able to reliably identify how long it might take for them to break down… [end quote] The public health impact is hard to assess since practically every American has been exposed. The liability toward DuPont, Chemours, 3M and their many customers could be ruinous for those companies. On a separate but related issue… More and more evidence is accumulating that microplastics (shards of broken down plastics which are ubiquitous in the environment) collect in our bodies and can cause serious health problems. While governments have banned the intentional inclusion of microplastics (such as tiny plastic beads) in products it’s impossible to control the breakdown of the myriad plastic products released into the environment as trash. > **[New study links microplastics to serious health harms in humans](https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/03/new-study-links-microplastics-serious-health-harms-humans)** > > A recent study suggests the presence of microplastics may increase the risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular problems among people with heart disease. The tiny plastics were found to double the risk of stroke or heart attack. > **[Microplastics infiltrate all systems of body, cause behavioral changes](https://www.uri.edu/news/2023/08/microplastics-infiltrate-all-systems-of-body-cause-behavioral-changes/)** > > KINGSTON, R.I. — Aug. 30, 2023 — Plastics—in particular, microplastics—are among the most pervasive pollutants on the planet, finding their way into the air, water systems and food chains around the world. While the prevalence of microplastics in the... > **[Health Effects of Microplastic Exposures: Current Issues and Perspectives in...](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10151227/)** > > Microplastics are environmental pollutants that prevail in the oceans, remote islands, and polar regions. Exposure to microplastics presents a major emerging threat to the ecosystems due to their potential adverse effects. Herein, we reviewed the ... I worked in the chemical industry for many years. My lungs were permanently damaged when heated PTFE vapors were re-entrained into my office air supply. As individuals we need to be aware of the health effects of low-level chronic exposure. As investors we need to be aware that some companies could be hit with massive lawsuits due to this problem. For example, 3M’s share price fell by more than half after 2018. Last year, [3M agreed to pay](https://investors.3m.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1836/3m-settlement-with-public-water-suppliers-to-address-pfas) at least $10 billion to water utilities across the United States that had sought compensation for cleanup costs. That’s probably just the start. Wendy ---
**Author:** ![GDavenport](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/gdavenport/32/37810_2.png) [@GDavenport](https://discussion.fool.com/u/GDavenport)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/2 "2024-05-28T17:48:49Z")
[Dark Waters (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th3fGekNwRg) This is a great, if depressing, movie that depicts part of the PFOA history and contemporary discovery. ---
**Author:** ![flyerboys](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/flyerboys/32/2123_2.png) [@flyerboys](https://discussion.fool.com/u/flyerboys)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/3 "2024-05-28T22:01:18Z")
I want companies bankrupted and responsible executives and BofDs at minimum denounced and scorned. Will never happen. d fb ---
**Author:** ![DrBob2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/drbob2/32/3456_2.png) [@DrBob2](https://discussion.fool.com/u/DrBob2)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 10:33pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/4 "2024-05-28T22:33:05Z")
> [@flyerboys](#): > > I want companies bankrupted… Given the ubiquity of micro plastics, why would you want the plastics industry bankrupted? It would be quite disruptive to the US and world economy. DB2 ---
**Author:** ![WendyBG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/wendybg/32/67464_2.png) [@WendyBG](https://discussion.fool.com/u/WendyBG)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 1:11am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/5 "2024-05-29T01:11:00Z")
> [@flyerboys](#): > > I want companies bankrupted and responsible executives and BofDs at minimum denounced and scorned. > > Will never happen. I hope not. These companies produce many essential products that are widely used in more applications than the narrow “forever chemical” niches. And it’s absurd to think that the modern world can function without plastics which are ubiquitous and have no reasonable substitutes. I worked in the polymer industry for years. Bankrupting American companies won’t help the situation since polymers are made internationally. As the world economy improves and third-world countries become more prosperous (which is all to the good) billions of formerly poor people in China, India, Africa and others will want the benefits of modern products, many of which are made out of plastic. (Such as disposable diapers, medical devices and countless thousands of others.) That’s why plastic production is forecast to at least double over the next 10 years. It is literally impossible to imagine the modern world without plastics. (Note the plural because there are hundreds of different types of plastics.) There may be a world without PFOAs but not without plastics. And bankrupting companies won’t help. Wendy ---
**Author:** ![syke6](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/syke6/32/26265_2.png) [@syke6](https://discussion.fool.com/u/syke6)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 1:27am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/6 "2024-05-29T01:27:14Z")
[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/original/3X/e/f/ef89c601587d1beabf600d0eda7db8170e001c23.jpeg "Graduate Scene - Plastics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMtLdE5Zq-8) ---
**Author:** ![jaagu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/jaagu/32/6160_2.png) [@jaagu](https://discussion.fool.com/u/jaagu)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 7:14am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/7 "2024-05-29T07:14:59Z")
> [@WendyBG](#): > > It is literally impossible to imagine the modern world without plastics. (Note the plural because there are hundreds of different types of plastics.) There may be a world without PFOAs but not without plastics. And bankrupting companies won’t help. I think we can get rid of PFOAs by making plastic companies responsible for the cleanup. Maybe some will go bankrupt but the others will continue making safer plastics. ---
**Author:** ![flyerboys](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/flyerboys/32/2123_2.png) [@flyerboys](https://discussion.fool.com/u/flyerboys)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/8 "2024-05-29T08:51:13Z")
Bqnkruptcy does not destroy the manufacturing capability. It simply wipes the ownership. New ownership takes over. Not easy or cheap, but corporations increasingly are violating crux laws as normal business practice, and deterrence is urgently needed. d fb ---
**Author:** ![DrBob2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/drbob2/32/3456_2.png) [@DrBob2](https://discussion.fool.com/u/DrBob2)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 10:50am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/9 "2024-05-29T10:50:06Z")
> [@flyerboys](#): > > Bqnkruptcy does not destroy the manufacturing capability. It simply wipes the ownership. New ownership takes over. True enough, but since there is a limitless supply of lawyers the new owners would then face new “astronomical” lawsuits. Not sure you’d find many takers. DB2 ---
**Author:** ![jerryab2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/jerryab2/32/3274_2.png) [@jerryab2](https://discussion.fool.com/u/jerryab2)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/astronomical-lawsuits-against-chemical-manufacturers/105541/11 "2024-05-29T15:20:45Z")
> [@jaagu](#): > > I think we can get rid of PFOAs by making plastic companies responsible for the cleanup. > **[Open house will highlight Woodbury’s solution to PFAS contamination: $400...](https://www.startribune.com/open-house-will-highlight-woodburys-solution-to-pfas-contamination-a-400-million-water-treatment-plant/600366409)** > > A May 22 event at City Hall will provide more information about the new water treatment plant, which is expected to be operational in 2028.