According to several recent lawsuits, waterways in the US State of Delaware have been contaminated by “forever chemicals”. These chemicals tend to remain in the environment for extremely long periods, even thousands of years, causing serious harm to human health. The most common type of “forever chemicals” are polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been used in numerous manufacturing processes since the 1950s. A study by the US Department of Health links PFAS to cholesterol and liver problems, various types of cancer, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis. In December 2024, an investigation by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Delaware’s New Castle County, well-known for the presence of high levels of PFAS in drinking water, found that more than 25% of the residents were highly impacted at a social, environmental, and health level by the pollution.
This contributed to various lawsuits, including one filed by Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings against 13 chemical companies that used PFAS in manufacturing operations in October 2023. The lawsuit includes big companies like 3M, Dupont, and Deepwater Chemicals, and cites explicitly the health damages caused by forever chemicals. Meanwhile, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is looking for ways to reduce the impact of PFAS and protect the health of its citizens. Some suggested measures are cleaning and dusting households, frequently changing cooling and heating filters, and replacing products containing PFAS.
