3M begins mass manufacturing PFOA for industrial and consumer products

3M Company begins large-scale production of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and related per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for industrial applications. These synthetic fluorinated compounds, engineered to resist heat, oil, and water, would be used in Scotchgard fabric protectors, Teflon cookware coatings, firefighting foams, and food packaging. No regulatory framework existed to evaluate their long-term persistence in the environment or human body.