Connecticut plaintiffs say ‘forever chemicals’ in turnout gear increase risk of cancer by absorption and inhalation
A federal judge on Tuesday said more than 20 defendants including 3M, DuPont and Honeywell must face claims by Connecticut firefighters who said their protective gear was contaminated by toxic “forever chemicals” that increased their risk of cancer.
Lawyers for 13 firefighter union organizations and 12 individual firefighters said “turnout gear” that shields against extreme heat and flames leached the chemicals through absorption into skin, ingestion and inhalation. They have called the proposed class action the first to exclusively target firefighter gear containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or Pfas.
