- Summary- Companies- Share price falls slightly- Legal pressure mounts over environmental damage caused- Investors also urging actionDec 20 (Reuters) - U.S. industrial conglomerate 3M Co (MMM.N) on Tuesday set a 2025 deadline to stop producing PFAS, the "forever chemicals" used in anything from cell phones to semiconductors that have been linked to cancers, heart problems and low birth weights.Perfluoralkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) do not break down quickly and have in recent years been found in dangerous concentrations in drinking water, soils and foods."With 3M's scale and position as one of the world's largest producers of PFAS, we feel this could represent a turning point in the transition towards a more sustainable chemical industry," said Victoria Lidén, sustainability analyst with Storebrand Asset Management.In August, the Biden administration said it will propose designating certain forever chemicals as hazardous substances under the U.S. Superfund program.Five European countries - Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands - have been working on a proposal to restrict the use of PFAS, which they plan to put forward by January."