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Former 3M insider discusses PFAS
When former 3M lab scientist Kris Hansen found the company’s chemicals were in human blood in 1997, she said "it was like finding the big red 3M logo in the blood of the general population."
(FOX 9) - When former 3M lab scientist Kris Hansen found the company’s chemicals were in human blood in 1997, she said "it was like finding the big red 3M logo in the blood of the general population."
3M accused of deceiving its own scientist about PFAS in human blood
Hansen believed it was the first time the Minnesota-based manufacturer became aware of the "alarming" discovery.
It was not.
More than 20 years earlier, a pair of independent scientists had already alerted 3M that they had found evidence of PFAS chemicals in human blood – and that the company’s blockbuster product, Scotchgard, was a likely source of the contamination, according to an internal memo.
READ MORE: 3M watchdog says he ‘agonized’ over PFAS chemicals in video deposition
What they’re saying: When Hansen told her bosses about her findings, she said, "the attitude was like, ‘it’s unfortunate, but it’s okay – it’s not going to cause harm to anyone.’"
Hansen was 28-years-old at the time and recently told the FOX 9 Investigators her bosses at 3M deceived her.
"I was being told by some of the highest-ranking people in the company that there was nothing to worry about," Hansen said.
She believed them until a landmark civil lawsuit filed by the State of Minnesota in 2018 unearthed scores of company documents surrounding PFAS chemicals.
Hansen said she was "horrified that there was that evidence of a cover-up."
The backstory: Hansen was also frustrated last month when she first saw videos of 3M executives talking about the company's handling of PFAS chemicals.
The FOX 9 Investigators recently obtained hundreds of hours of depositions, including one video that shows Hansen’s former boss, Dale Bacon, being questioned about chemicals detected in 3M workers’ blood.
"I had a strong emotional reaction to watching [the depositions] because these are people I trusted – that I assumed were teammates to me," Hansen said. "I realize now that that trust was displaced."
What we know: PFAS chemicals are a class of chemicals that do not break down naturally over time, which is why they are also known as "forever chemicals." They can be found in various household products, including waterproof clothing and non-stick cookware.
Beginning in the 1950s, 3M began manufacturing PFAS chemicals. One of its blockbuster products was Scotchgard.
The chemicals have been linked to various health risks, including certain cancers.
READ MORE: 3M video depositions shed light on PFAS litigation, company’s research
The other side: A spokesperson for 3M said in a statement that the company "has been a leader in addressing PFAS-related matters," pointing to its phase out of some chemicals in the year 2000.
The company said it plans to stop manufacturing all PFAS chemicals by the end of 2025.
Big picture view: Hansen said 3M’s reluctance to share what it knew about PFAS chemicals set back scientific understanding of how it impacts the environment and public health.
"We’ve seen effects on the immune system of children, heart disease, all sorts of things" Hansen said. "Imagine if you could have known those things 20 or 25 years earlier."
Today she lives in the path of the 3M contamination zone – where the drinking water of more than 170,000 people has been affected.
"That’s the thing about forever chemicals, they just move – they have high mobility in the environment," Hansen said. "Which is why it’s so important to make responsible decisions because we’re stuck with them forever."