carpet industry pfas drinking water contamination.

A new investigation shows how chemicals used for decades to make carpets stain resistant have contaminated swaths of the South. As carpet executives in northwest Georgia grappled with the health and environmental risks of PFAS, known widely as forever chemicals, they coordinated privately with the local public water utility, effectively shielding their companies from oversight. Carpet makers kept using PFAS even after scientists linked it to human health threats, including certain cancers. Major carpet companies point out their chemical suppliers hid the risks for years, and say they’ve complied with all regulations and have stopped using PFAS.