The 2019 film “Dark Waters” revealed a lot about forever chemicals, large corporations, and what can happen when we blindly trust authority. The film, which is based on a true story, depicts lawyer Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) as he takes on manufacturing giant DuPont. The general claim is that DuPont knowingly dumped forever chemicals into water and land surrounding one of their plants in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
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After farmer Wilbur Tennant raises concerns about the health of the cows on his farm, the truth about DuPont and forever chemicals starts to come to light. At the time, the chemicals were completely unregulated, and Bilott makes the case that DuPont knew the chemicals were dangerous yet continued to manufacture and dump them anyway. Here’s what we can take away from the film.
It’s nearly impossible to completely avoid forever chemicals
After learning about the prevalence of the chemicals in everyday items like pots and pans and carpeting, Bilott tears up the carpeting in his home in an effort to protect his family. For decades, these chemicals have been in our food, water, carpeting, clothing, and more without us even realizing it. The movie makes it clear that avoiding them is difficult if not impossible, and it definitely requires diligent work and conscious lifestyle changes.
Though regulatory changes have been made and people have become more aware of contamination in our water supply since the movie came out, our water still isn’t completely clean. In fact, nearly 50% of the tap water in the United States is still contaminated with PFAS, according to research done by the United States Geological Survey.
Forever chemicals can have devastating effects on health
The negative health effects in the movie are first depicted via Tennant’s cows. The cows faced various health problems, including enlarged organs, tumors, and decaying teeth. Tennant tells Bilott that he lost 190 cows, all of which he believes were due to poisoning from the DuPont plant. He even shows Bilott his cow graveyard, where he had to bury massive amounts of animals.
As the film continues, many people begin to show health problems as well. Tennant himself as well as his wife both develop cancer. Other health problems that are linked to PFAS and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) include an increase in cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, lower birthweight, lower antibody response to vaccines, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and various types of cancer.
Forever chemicals are particularly harmful for pregnant women
Multiple times, the movie references DuPont removing women from working on the Teflon line. It also relays tragic stories of babies born with birth defects. One of the most notable examples was Bucky Bailey, whose mother worked for DuPont while she was pregnant with him. He was born with only one nostril and malformations in his right eye. Throughout his life, he has had to undergo over 40 reconstructive surgeries. PFOA has been linked to miscarriage as well, with one study published in the journal Scientific Reports finding a 50% increased risk of miscarriage with elevated PFOA levels.
We have to be our own biggest advocates
As a regular citizen without a platform or a lot of money, it can feel like you’re powerless when it comes to enacting change or standing up to big corporations. However, “Dark Waters” shows us that one person with a strong conviction can make a difference. Tennant was convinced that his cows were being poisoned, and he stopped at nothing to get to the bottom of the problem.
Speaking about the move in an interview on The View, Ruffalo said, “It's probably one of the greatest cover-ups in American history, and it affects everyone in the world now, and nobody knows about it.” Even as this issue has come to light, people are still fighting for more regulation over PFAS. No changes will be made until people continue to fight.
Because of his insistence, a major lawsuit eventually hit DuPont, and the company paid out billions of dollars to those affected by the forever chemicals they released. Many people who have been affected by PFAS as a result of DuPont’s manufacturing and waste are still fighting for justice. If you believe you have been negatively impacted by water contamination due to PFAS, you may be entitled to compensation, and we can help you find a lawyer.
