Since then, thousands of people across the country, including military service members, firefighters, and citizens have launched lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers. 3M paid $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contaminated drinking water; DuPont paid more than $1.2 billion; Tyco Fire Products, the makers of firefighting foam, settled for $750 million. Altogether, the chemical industry has paid $11 billion to cover the costs of cleaning up ground and water contamination. But so far, no individuals—including the Cotters—have been compensated for the potential effects of exposure to carcinogenic PFAS chemicals. 

Several review papers on PFAS occurrence, distribution, and exposure have been published in the last decades.