Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) – DuPont (NYSE:)), 3M, Honeywell (NASDAQ:) and 16 other defendants were sued on Tuesday by Connecticut firefighters who claimed their protective equipment was contaminated with toxic “forever chemicals” linked to cancer.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they believe the proposed class action lawsuit filed in federal court in New Haven, Conn., is the first to specifically target firefighting equipment containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

The Connecticut Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association, five other unions and five firefighters sued on behalf of firefighters across the state, including in cities such as Hartford and Stamford.

They said jackets, pants and other “firefighting gear” deliver PFAS to firefighters through skin, ingestion and inhalation, and that more PFAS is absorbed as temperatures rise and sweat accumulates.

The plaintiffs claimed this led to “subclinical cellular changes in their bodies that put them at increased risk of adverse health conditions,” justifying damages of at least $5 million for violations of Connecticut’s product liability law.

The complaint said DuPont and 3M produced PFAS used in protective equipment, while a Honeywell subsidiary was one of the sellers of the equipment and failed to warn about the risks.

In a statement, DuPont said the lawsuit was without merit and that “we look forward to vigorously defending our achievements in safety, health and environmental management.”

DuPont also said it never produced PFOA and PFOS, two types of PFAS that plaintiffs say were used in their equipment.

Neither 3M nor Honeywell immediately responded to requests for comment.

PFAS can be found in hundreds of consumer and commercial products, including cosmetics, nonstick pans and stain-resistant clothing.

They earn the nickname “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in the human body or the environment.

PFAS have been linked to negative health effects, including higher cholesterol levels, low birth weight and reduced antibody response to vaccines, as well as kidney and testicular cancer.

Last year, DuPont, 3M and two other companies reached settlements worth more than $11 billion to resolve claims that drinking water was contaminated by firefighting foam and other products containing PFAS. None pleaded guilty.

The case is Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut et al. v. 3M Co et al., United States District Court, District of Connecticut, No. 24-01101.