Waterproof mascara, Big Mac wrappers and menstrual period underwear are among a growing list of consumer products now being targeted in lawsuits for containing PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”
PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to a host of illnesses including cancer, hypertension and thyroid disease. They are known to be in nonstick cookware, drinking water and firefighting foam, and companies like DuPont and 3M have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits over them. But a new spate of lawsuits focuses on cosmetics, clothing, food containers and other products, which, through ingestion or skin absorption, have exposed consumers to PFAS.
