A row of firefighters’ helmets, coats, and boots in suspendered pants hang at the ready at a fire station. (Getty Images)
Firefighting can be a very rewarding career, but it entails numerous risks, from smoke inhalation to serious injuries from collapsing buildings.
Still, a more obscure health threat to these brave people is toxic exposure, as firefighters come in contact with plenty of harmful substances on the job, including formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, benzene, polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos, carbon monoxide, but also perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These substances are often referred to as PFAS or “forever chemicals” due to their ability to persist in the environment and the body for a long time.
Exposure to PFAS is responsible for many awful health issues, such as kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer . While firefighters are exposed to “forever chemicals” from their use of aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, a toxic fire suppressant that sometimes contains 98% PFAS , these dangerous substances are also lurking in their very turnout gear.