PFAS Carpet Lawsuit | Latest Updates

Carpets treated with PFAS for stain and water resistance are at the center of one class action, Peterson v. 3M. Carpet buyers allege that 3M, EIDP and Chemours sold the treatments without disclosing health risks. Buyers filed the case on August 30, 2024, and a federal court dismissed it without prejudice on September 30, 2025. They sought money to replace their carpet, and no personal-injury claims were in the case. No MDL exists for carpet. The complaint alleges that carpets release dust containing PFAS that adults and children unknowingly inhale. A 2020 study found PFAS in carpet and dust at 18 California childcare centers.

Latest PFAS Carpet Lawsuit Updates

July 7, 2026: ATSDR Reports PFAS Health Associations

ATSDR‘s clinical overview for clinicians, dated July 7, 2026, reports that PFAS exposure is associated with several health effects in people [1].

September 30, 2025: Court Dismisses Peterson Carpet Class Action

The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota dismissed the Peterson class action against 3M, EIDP and Chemours without prejudice [2]. It granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss. The court held the plaintiffs failed to allege Article III standing because they had not plausibly alleged an injury in fact or traceability. It also noted concern that the factual allegations were inadequate to support a RICO claim.

December 11, 2024: Texas Sues 3M and DuPont over PFAS Advertising

The Texas Attorney General announced a lawsuit against 3M and DuPont [3]. It alleges misrepresentations and omissions in advertising the safety of brands including Teflon, Stainmaster and Scotchgard. It is a state suit over alleged misleading advertising and is not an injury case brought by carpet buyers. The claims are allegations made by the Texas Attorney General, and the filing is distinct from the Peterson class action.

August 30, 2024: Carpet Buyers File Peterson Class Action

Vicki Peterson and Paul Sadeghi filed a class action complaint in the District of Minnesota [4]. It names 3M, EIDP and Chemours and pleads the federal RICO Act and state laws for buyers of PFAS-treated carpet. The buyers, who say they still have the carpet installed, seek money damages to remove and replace it, plus restitution and punitive damages.

November 30, 2023: IARC Classifies PFOA and PFOS

IARC‘s working group summary classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) [5]. It was published in The Lancet Oncology. For PFOA, the group found limited evidence in humans for renal cell carcinoma and testicular cancer. IARC says the classification does not show the level of risk. The 30 experts met in Lyon on November 7-14, 2023.

April 12, 2020: Wu Study Finds PFAS in Carpet and Dust

Wu and colleagues published a Chemosphere study online of paired carpet and dust samples collected in 2018 from 18 California childcare centers [6]. Median total PFAS was 471 ng/g in carpets and 523 ng/g in dust. The authors wrote that strong associations between carpet and dust levels suggest carpets can be a source and a sink for PFAS.

What Is PFAS in Carpet?

ATSDR says PFAS are man-made chemicals used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1940s. They have been used to make stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, and most, including PFOA and PFOS, do not break down [7]. EPA‘s PFAS Explained page lists thousands of PFAS chemicals in many consumer, commercial and industrial products [8]. It says exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.

Who May Be Affected?

The proposed Peterson class described people who bought PFAS-treated carpet and had it installed in the United States before January 1, 2020 and still own the building, without removing the carpeting. The court dismissed that case. ATSDR’s About PFAS page names using products like stain-resistant carpet and accidentally swallowing contaminated soil or dust among the ways exposure can occur. For broader PFAS exposure, see our PFAS exposure lawsuit page. Children in carpeted childcare centers were the setting of the Wu study. Whether this applies to you depends on your own facts, and only an individual legal review looks at them.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The Peterson complaint alleged economic harm to carpet buyers and brought no personal-injury claims. Its allegations about inhaled carpet dust remain claims. ATSDR found evidence of an association between PFAS and increased cholesterol, small decreases in birth weight, and lower antibody response to some vaccines in children. It also found evidence of an association with kidney and testicular cancer (PFOA), pregnancy-induced hypertension or preeclampsia, and changes in liver enzymes. It found no consistent evidence of an association for thyroid disease, breast cancer or ulcerative colitis. ATSDR states that causal relationships have not been established for these health effects. The Wu study modeled children’s intake of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs, a group of PFAS) from carpet dust. Estimates were 0.023, 0.096 and 1.9 ng/kg body weight per day. These figures cover the low, intermediate and high exposure scenarios. They are modeled estimates, so they do not measure health outcomes.

Evidence to Preserve

Keep these records about the carpet and any health problems, because they may matter in a later review:

• Records of the carpet purchase and installation, including receipts, invoices, installer paperwork and dates.
• The carpet brand, product name and any label or sample tag that came with it.
• Photographs of the carpet and its condition, with the dates the photographs were taken.
• Medical records and diagnoses, with the dates of each visit, test and diagnosis.
• Any test results for the carpet, dust or blood, kept with the lab report.
• Notes on where and how long you lived or worked with the carpet.
• Communications with the seller, installer or manufacturer about the carpet, including emails, letters and warranty papers.

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines for injury and consumer claims come from state law. They depend on where you live and on when the exposure, illness or injury happened, and some states start the clock at diagnosis. Waiting past a deadline can end a claim in a carpet or other PFAS case, even one built on strong facts. Speak with a lawyer promptly to learn which deadline may apply to you. See our product liability lawsuit page for related claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Carpet Have PFAS?

Yes, carpet can have PFAS. The Peterson complaint alleges that a large percentage of the PFAS produced worldwide is used to treat carpets, rugs and other home textiles. That is the buyers’ allegation and not a court finding.

Why Was the PFAS Carpet Class Action Dismissed?

The PFAS carpet class action was dismissed because the court held the buyers failed to allege standing. Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan was assigned the case. The order is Doc. 62, and the dismissal was without prejudice.

What Other Products Contain PFAS Besides Carpet?

Besides carpet, ATSDR says PFAS have been used to make water-repellent clothing, some firefighting foams and grease-, water- and oil-resistant products. It lists these uses on its About PFAS page.

What Does the Research Say About PFAS in Carpet?

Research on PFAS in carpet measures exposure, while the health findings concern PFAS in general. ATSDR’s page cites a 2022 National Academies review that rated kidney cancer as sufficient evidence and testicular cancer as limited or suggestive evidence of an association.

Did Texas Sue over Stainmaster and Scotchgard?

Yes, Texas sued 3M and DuPont over brands including Stainmaster and Scotchgard. The filing alleges the defendants marketed products containing harmful PFAS for over 70 years and were aware of the harmful effects for over 50 years.

References

1. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/hcp/clinical-overview/health-effects.html
2. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.219863/gov.uscourts.mnd.219863.62.0_3.pdf
3. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-manufacturers-toxic-pfas-forever-chemicals-falsely-advertising
4. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.219863/gov.uscourts.mnd.219863.1.0.pdf
5. https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/iarc-monographs-evaluate-the-carcinogenicity-of-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-pfos/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32359999/
7. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/about/index.html
8. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained