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A major investigative collaboration reported that PFAS chemicals used in the South’s carpet industry for stain resistance have contaminated swaths of the region, with effects that can last for decades. The investigation, published by The Associated Press along with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, FRONTLINE (PBS), and other partners, traced how PFAS from manufacturing wastewater moved into rivers and, eventually, drinking water supplies.
In northwest Georgia, the investigation described how carpet making has centered for decades and how the industry relied on chemicals designed to make carpets resist stains. It said workers at mills in that region treated carpets with PFAS beginning in the 1970s, and that the chemicals spread through manufacturing wastewater discharged for treatment that did not remove the compounds.
The investigation said PFAS—known to scientists as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and described in public discussion as “forever chemicals” because they can take decades or more to break down—are now present throughout the region. It reported that PFAS can be found in people, including PFAS circulating in blood and lodging in some organs, and cited health conditions linked to exposure among residents in affected areas.
The report included firsthand accounts from a former carpet worker, Marie Jackson, who said: “Around here, you have to understand the people. That’s all we know, right?” She added, “You go in, you know your job, you do your job, you go home.” The investigation said Jackson has PFAS in her blood and that nodules are growing on her thyroid gland.
The investigation reported that as the carpet industry grappled with risks to human health and the environment, executives coordinated privately with a local public water utility in ways that would effectively shield their companies from oversight. It also reported that carpet makers continued using PFAS for years even as scientific evidence solidified concerns in the 2000s and 2010s about threats the chemicals can pose, including certain cancers and a compromised immune system.
In its account of regulatory gaps, the investigation said reporting by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the AP and FRONTLINE showed that a lack of state and federal regulation helped carpet companies and chemical suppliers legally switch among different versions of PFAS over time. The investigation said that mills of the two largest carpet companies, Shaw Industries and Mohawk Industries Inc., sent PFAS-polluted wastewater through sewer pipes for treatment that did not remove the chemicals, and that much of the tainted water ended up in the Conasauga River.
The investigation said both Shaw and Mohawk told reporters they stopped using PFAS in 2019 and have operated in accordance with permits issued by Dalton Utilities. Dalton Utilities, the investigation said, said it takes direction from federal and state regulators and that those regulators have not prohibited PFAS in industrial wastewater.
In South Carolina, the investigation reported that detective work helped identify PFAS contamination and traced it to a river by a Shaw Industries factory. It described how, rather than fighting the resulting lawsuit, Shaw proposed installing a special filtration system called granular activated carbon to capture PFAS before it leaves the factory, and that the watchdog group agreed and withdrew the lawsuit.
The investigation also focused on drinking water wells and said roughly 40 million Americans get drinking water from private wells, which can leave people at particular risk when PFAS contaminate the supply. It reported that federal PFAS limits for water systems apply to public utilities but that the limits do not apply to private wells, and it said well owners often learn last about contamination—particularly in areas where testing of private wells is not routinely done.
In Alabama, the investigation said AL.com found that cities were struggling to manage PFAS in drinking water with limited help from the state. It reported that residents pursued legal action, including lawsuits against carpet companies and chemical manufacturers, and said in Gadsden—a city described as home to about 33,000 residents—a reverse osmosis treatment plant has been under construction using funding from a settlement. The investigation said the facility is scheduled to open in 2027, while residents continue to worry about health consequences in the meantime.
The investigation also included questions and answers about PFAS beyond carpets, saying carpet used PFAS more than many other industries because huge amounts were needed for industrial-scale stain resistance, while tiny quantities can still create risks in drinking water. It said the carpet industry is not the only one that used PFAS, adding that the chemicals have also appeared in nonstick cooking pans, raincoats and firefighting foam.
The investigation was described as part of a collaboration with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, AL.com, FRONTLINE and The Post and Courier, and it was tied to a documentary, “Contaminated: The Carpet Industry’s Toxic Legacy,” on FRONTLINE’s platforms.