3M’s History with PFASs

• In 1953, lab technician Patsy Sherman accidentally spilled an experimental PFC rubber mixture on her tennis shoe and noticed that it could not easily be cleaned off. It repelled water, soap and other solvents. Her discovery eventually led to the development of the Scotchgard^TM brand of fabric and upholstery products, which were introduced to the market in 1956. Today’s formulation of Scotchgard^TM does not contain PFOA and PFOS.
• In the early 1960s, 3M researchers met with scientists from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory about the potential of developing firefighting foams to suppress fires involving aviation fuel and other flammable liquids. During that meeting, it was observed that, after 3M’s PFC surfactant was mixed with water and applied to a gasoline sample, there was no ignition when a match was lit directly above the gasoline. The research team realized that PFC surfactants could be used in firefighting to prevent, suppress and extinguish fires.
• Since the 1970s, 3M has led efforts to develop analytical tools to measure minute amounts of PFASs in humans and the environment.
• In the late 1990s, samples of blood from the general U.S. population were analyzed as a part of 3M research. Enabled by improved analytical capabilities, it was confirmed that these samples contained trace amounts (parts-per-billion (ppb) levels) of certain long-chain PFASs.
• To put these levels in perspective, one ppb is equivalent to one second in approximately 32 years or one penny in $10,000,000.
• Following those discoveries, 3M made the decision to voluntarily discontinue the manufacture of long-chain PFASs and related products. This phase-out action was announced in May 2000 – well ahead of 3M’s competitors and without any legislation or regulation requiring such action.
• 3M substantially completed the phase out of long-chain PFASs by the end of 2002.
• Decades of research by 3M indicate that PFASs do not harm human health at the levels typically found in the environment.

The original page showed a 150 pixel image beside the first item (file name Sherman-150×150.png). The Internet Archive did not preserve it, and it has not been replaced.