PFAS Lawsuits Over Water Contamination, Firefighting Foam and Health Risks

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals used in products like cookware and firefighting foam to resist heat, grease and water. Sometimes called “forever chemicals,” the use of PFAS can contaminate the air, soil and water.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost all Americans have PFAS in their blood.

Thousands of PFAS lawsuits have been filed due to the chemicals’ widespread impact and ties to health issues like cancer. Cities, public drinking water systems and individuals who have been exposed to these chemicals have filed claims against PFAS manufacturers like 3M and Chemours.

PFAS refers to a group of manufactured chemicals that are linked to serious health issues like cancer. These chemicals have been used in consumer and industry products for decades.

Nonstick cookware is a common product that may include PFAS. Another is aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a firefighting foam that has been used at airports and military bases to extinguish liquid-based flames like gasoline fires.

“One reason we do see PFAS water contamination commonly around sites that use AFFF is that AFFF has a lot of PFAS in it,” Scott Bartell, a health researcher at UC Irvine who has studied PFAS for nearly 20 years, told Drugwatch. “It was the key ingredient to make it effective for the kind of uses that type of firefighting foam has.”

PFAS has also been found in firefighter gear.

Over the years, PFAS chemicals have contaminated the air, soil and groundwater, impacting animals and humans. Since PFAS does not break down easily, it lingers in the environment. This has helped these chemicals spread across the globe.

“Because they’ve been produced for so long, largely without any regulation, we can now find them everywhere in the world,” Bartell said. “You can go sample ocean creatures. You find them up in the Arctic.”

There is no easy way to detect PFAS since these chemicals have no discernible taste or smell. Laboratory testing is necessary to detect PFAS.

What Are the Symptoms of PFAS Exposure?

Concerns about the potential health impacts of widespread PFAS contamination have increased in recent years. Research has shown that PFAS exposure may be tied to various health issues, including an increased risk of cancer.

The National Cancer Institute reports that higher levels of PFAS in the blood of Air Force members who served as firefighters or worked at bases with increased levels of PFAS in the water were linked to a high risk of testicular cancer.

Higher rates of kidney cancer diagnoses and deaths were also noted among people who lived in communities with contaminated drinking water that were near PFAS-producing chemical plants. Research even links forever chemicals to liver damage.

In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified PFAS as carcinogenic to humans.

PFAS manufacturers are being sued over contamination and potential health issues connected to these chemicals.

Manufacturer 3M has been a defendant in many lawsuits over its ties to PFAS. The company produced firefighting foams that contained forever chemicals.

According to reports, 3M was aware of the environmental risks associated with these products for years but continued to market them as biodegradable.

The company has paid out billions in settlements over these concerns, including $10.3 billion in 2023, to various cities and towns that claimed their drinking water supplies were contaminated.

Other companies that have been sued include multinational chemical corporation DuPont, as well as its spin-off companies, Chemours and Corteva. In 2023, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva agreed to a settlement worth $1.185 billion to resolve claims with public water systems.

Tyco Fire Products, a company that manufactures firefighting foam, has also faced lawsuits. It agreed to a $750 million settlement with public water systems in 2024 over PFAS contamination.

There are thousands of PFAS lawsuits that fall into several different categories. These include:

• AFFF lawsuits
• Firefighter turnout gear lawsuits
• Water contamination lawsuits

People are currently filing water contamination lawsuits after drinking chemical-contaminated water and developing serious health issues.

PFAS can seep into water from industrial sites and landfills. However, another major source of contamination is AFFF.

When this foam is used to put out a fire, for training or for system testing, it can seep into the surrounding area and contaminate water. Since these chemicals don’t break down easily, they can accumulate over time.

“It is very common to have PFAS water contamination around military bases, airports, places they practice with AFFF,” Bartell said.

AFFF lawsuits have been filed over these concerns.

Firefighters are at an increased risk of exposure to PFAS through AFFF and tend to have higher cancer rates than the general population. A meta-analysis of several studies shows that testicular cancer rates for firefighters are 100% higher than the average person.

Exposure to firefighting foam is not the only PFAS-related concern for firefighters. Turnout gear lawsuits have also been filed over claims that firefighter gear contains dangerous chemicals.

According to the International Association of Firefighters, studies have shown that all three layers of firefighter gear contain potentially harmful PFAS.

Firefighters, paramedics and first responders who developed cancer after repeated exposure to PFAS may be eligible to file lawsuits.

Exposure to firefighting foam is not the only PFAS-related concern for firefighters. Turnout gear lawsuits have also been filed over claims that firefighter gear contains dangerous chemicals.

According to the International Association of Firefighters, studies have shown that all three layers of firefighter gear contain potentially harmful PFAS.

Firefighters, paramedics and first responders who developed cancer after repeated exposure to PFAS may be eligible to file lawsuits.

Legal industry estimates suggest that the individual payout for a PFAS settlement could range from $75,000 to $500,000. However, these figures are speculative. Each payout depends on the circumstances of the individual case.

Factors that can impact payouts include the severity of your injury, the significance of your exposure and the financial burden you incurred.

While multi-billion-dollar settlements have been agreed to with cities and public water systems, there has not yet been a global settlement for the more than 10,000 PFAS and AFFF cases grouped together in federal court.

PFAS Trial Process

The progress of the AFFF multidistrict litigation (MDL) could play a significant role in if and when a settlement happens. An MDL is used to group many similar lawsuits.

Thousands of PFAS lawsuits have been consolidated into an MDL. This allows the cases to move through the legal process together, streamlining the litigation process.

Part of the MDL process includes holding bellwether trials. This is where a few cases from the thousands of pending lawsuits are selected to go to trial. Bellwether trials let plaintiffs and defendants see how their arguments hold up before a jury.

If people who filed lawsuits are successful in those trials, PFAS manufacturers could be motivated to agree to a global settlement for thousands of cases instead of going to trial.

The first bellwether trial for PFAS lawsuits is scheduled for October 2025.

PFAS contamination has been reported across all 50 states. In 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that at least 45% of the nation’s tap water contains forever chemicals.

The surrounding areas of military bases and airports could be particularly susceptible to this contamination.
In July 2024, the EPA and the U.S. Army announced a joint sampling project to test for PFAS in private drinking wells near Army installations. This included army locations in the following states:

• Alabama (Fort Novosel)
• California (The Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in Fort Hunter Liggett)
• Georgia (Fort Stewart and Fort Stewart’s Hunter Army Airfield)
• Kentucky (Blue Grass Army Depot and Fort Campbell)
• North Carolina (Fort Liberty)
• Oklahoma (Fort Sill and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant)
• Tennessee (Fort Campbell)

“When we go and test people, we can find PFAS in everybody’s body. There’s nobody that is PFAS-free,” Bartell said. “That’s born out in national surveys as well and in other countries. It’s not unique to the U.S. We see this around the world that everybody pretty much has PFAS chemicals in their body now.”

If you want to learn more about PFAS exposure where you live, the Environmental Working Group maintains a nationwide PFAS map.

PFAS litigation is taking place across the country. Here’s a timeline of some of the key developments in the lawsuits.

Check back for updates as these lawsuits progress.

You can file a PFAS lawsuit if you developed certain health conditions after being exposed to these chemicals.

You may have suffered exposure via contaminated drinking water. If you worked as a firefighter or at an airport or military bases, you may have been exposed through firefighting foam or gear.

Your case might be stronger if you also lived or worked in an area that is known for PFAS contamination.

One of our trusted legal partners can help you learn more about your options if you aren’t sure you qualify for a PFAS lawsuit. We can match you with a law firm that is a good fit for your case.