Carpet Sector Faces Scrutiny Over PFAS Contamination
Investigative reporting has uncovered a potential “contaminated carpet cover-up,” suggesting some manufacturers may have concealed the extent of PFAS chemical use and contamination. The revelations expose building materials and flooring producers to heightened EPA enforcement, litigation, and brand damage risk related to these “forever chemicals.”
- Carpet manufacturers like Mohawk Industries are now suing their chemical suppliers, including 3M, DuPont, and Daikin, alleging the companies concealed the health and environmental risks of PFAS for decades. Mohawk claims it has already spent tens of millions of dollars settling lawsuits over contaminated wastewater. - The use of PFAS was so extensive in Dalton, Georgia, the "carpet capital of the world," that wastewater from mills contaminated the Conasauga and Coosa Rivers, which supply drinking water to downstream communities. A 1999 internal study by 3M identified Dalton's mills as the largest combined emitters of the chemicals among its U.S. customers. - Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the EPA is requiring any company that manufactured or imported products with PFAS since January 1, 2011, to report detailed information on uses, production volumes, and disposal. The data submission period for most manufacturers will run from April 13, 2026, to October 13, 2026. - Lingering contamination has led to class-action lawsuits from consumers and legal action from communities. In 2023, the city of Rome, Georgia, settled a PFAS lawsuit with Shaw Industries and Mohawk for $65 million and $42.5 million, respectively. - Health risks associated with PFAS exposure, which can occur from inhaling contaminated dust from carpets, include thyroid disease, immune system dysfunction, high cholesterol, and certain cancers. Children are considered more vulnerable due to their tendency to play on floors and their higher intake of air and water relative to their body weight. - While major manufacturers like Shaw and Mohawk state they stopped using PFAS in U.S. carpet production in 2019, the chemicals' persistence means the environmental and health risks remain. Cleanup of existing contamination is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. - State-level regulations are often outpacing federal action. Maine banned carpets with intentionally added PFAS as of January 1, 2023, and Minnesota will ban PFAS in certain cleaning products by 2025 as part of a phased approach. - The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is moving towards a complete ban on all PFAS, potentially as early as mid-2025, which will impact global supply chains for manufacturers using these chemicals in any component.
