{
  "id": 5792502,
  "title": "How the Planet-Altering Disaster of \"Forever Chemicals\" Was Kept Secret",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/how-the-planet-altering-disaster-of-forever-chemicals-was-kept-secret",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-05T14:40:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://www.propublica.org/podcast/forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-3m-secret-kris-hansen"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Despite the widespread presence of harmful \"forever chemicals\" in humans and the environment, these substances were kept secret for decades. A 3M scientist, Kris Hansen, played a crucial role in uncovering this secret. Hansen, a former 3M employee, revealed that the company was aware of the toxic nature of these chemicals as early as the 1970s, yet continued their production. Sharon Lerner, a journalist, spent years investigating the companies responsible for these chemicals and how they maintained their secrecy for so long.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hacker News Best",
        "title": "How the Disaster of \"Forever Chemicals\" Was Kept Secret",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/how-the-disaster-of-forever-chemicals-was-kept-secret",
        "published": "2026-09-05T14:40:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}