DuPont facing huge health fine

CHEMICALS giant DuPont could face a fine of millions of dollars for allegedly covering up evidence of health risks from a key ingredient in Teflon for more than 20 years.

The Environmental Protection Agency could fine DuPont $300m (£163m), but is believed to be seeking redress of 'tens of millions of dollars'.

The substance, ammonium perfluorooctanoate (known as C-8) and the related perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are essential processing aids in the production of fluoropolymers such as Teflon. They are known to be animal carcinogens and to degrade very slowly.

Last April, after concluding C-8 might pose development risks to women of childbearing age, the EPA said it would conduct the most extensive scientific review of a chemical in the agency's history.

But internal documents indicate DuPont began exploring potential hazards of C-8 in 1981, during which it discovered two female employees who had worked with the chemical had given birth to children with defects similar to those reported in the animal tests.

It later reassigned the female personnel, but failed to disclose C-8 had also been found in groundwater around its plant.

In 2000, chemical company 3M withdrew Scotchguard from the market, after the EPA expressed concern C-8-related chemicals posed serious health risks.