3M, one of the largest manufacturers of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), has already phased out its use of this toxic substance by 2002. Other companies, such as DuPont and Chemours, followed suit in 2006. Though AFFF has been discontinued, it continues to be used by fire stations and other companies across the United States. Because the active ingredients in AFFF don't degrade in the soil, they're also faced with the problem of how to properly dispose of expired AFFFs.
AFFF manufacturers are currently involved in lawsuits seeking to hold them responsible for causing cancer and other health issues due to their products' PFAS and PFOA toxicity. Three thousand five hundred fifty-five people sued DuPont and Chemours for damages caused by their toxic chemical called, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), used in making Teflon products. As recently as March 2020, a jury in Ohio awarded $50 million to an employee who was diagnosed with testicular cancer after working at a chemical plant where he had been exposed to AFFF. Plaintiffs allege that their exposure to AFFF has resulted in kidney, testicular, liver, and thyroid cancers, ulcerative colitis, pre-eclampsia, and more.