PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The chemicals often found in firefighting foam and protective gear are extremely effective, but they may be doing a lot more harm than good.
The forever chemicals, known as PFAS, are manmade and never degrade. They have been linked to a number of health issues, like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
According to a recent study by Rutgers University, volunteer firefighters had significantly higher levels of PFAS — about 20% to 40% — in their blood than the general public.
The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, surveyed 135 members of a New Jersey volunteer fire department. It focused on nine specific PFAS chemicals that are most commonly seen among the general population.
“Two of these PFAS (chemicals) that were higher in our volunteer firefighters than we see in people their age and sex and race in the (general) population were higher in firefighters that had more years of firefighting,” noted Dr. Judith Graber, associate professor of epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health.
The average survey participant had 20 years of firefighting experience. “Since they are always on call, volunteer firefighters could potentially accumulate more years of firefighting-related exposures than their career counterparts,” according to the study.
Graber said the health effects from PFAS are critically important now, as they can lower “immune response to vaccines, which is particularly concerning now given our reliance on the COVID vaccine.”
More than 65% of U.S. firefighters are volunteers, so Graber said it’s essential to find better ways to protect them.
“The No. 1 risk of a firefighter is being protected from the fire. The chemicals used in fire suppression foam and the protective clothing firefighters use came out 40 years ago when people thought they were safe, and they work well for what they are intended to do,” she added. “Further research is needed to better understand the sources of these chemicals and to design effective foam and protective clothing that do not use these chemicals.”
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