Like their colleagues across the country, Arizona firefighters put their lives on the line every day to save others. The most dangerous occupational hazard they face isn’t blazing flames but carcinogenic chemicals like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — PFAS.
PFAS are a group of toxic chemicals that are among the most worrying emerging environmental hazards in the U.S. They are water-soluble, highly mobile, persistent, remain in the environment for an unknown period and accumulate in living organisms.
Exposure to these so-called “forever chemicals” mainly happens through contaminated drinking water, air and direct exposure, like in the case of firefighters. Long-term exposure to PFAS causes diseases such as decreased fertility, weakened immune systems, increases in cholesterol levels and various types of cancers, such as kidney, breast, testicular, prostate and thyroid cancers.
PFAS can be found in many household and industrial products, such as firefighter protective clothing and the class-B type of aqueous film-forming foam — AFFF.
AFFF is, to date, the most effective fire suppressant due to its unique carbon-fluoride component. Military and civil firefighters have widely used it since the 1960s against fuel and other flammable liquid fires. However, because it contains large quantities of PFAS, it is among the primary sources of contamination with the forever chemicals.
While steps have been taken nationwide by states and the Department of Defense to replace AFFF with fluorine-free foam alternatives, the problem of PFAS-loaded firefighting gear has received less attention from policymakers until recently.
Firefighters’ clothing, called turnout gear, is essential for protecting them from injuries, burns and contaminants. Manufacturers apply PFAS to produce the three-layer firefighting gear because of the chemicals’ oil- and water-repellent properties.
By now, PFAS-free firefighter gear options are on the market, and there is ongoing research and testing of new-generation gear. However, changing even one fire department’s entire equipment is expensive, adding up to millions of dollars, a cost many states and municipalities would struggle to bear.
The Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art Alternatives Act — PFAS Alternatives ACT — introduced in July 2023, would be a long-awaited solution to the problem. The PFAS Alternatives Act proposes authorizing $25 million annually from 2024 until 2028 for research to develop PFAS-free turnout gear and an additional $2 million annually for training on wearing and caring for the next-generation gear.
However, the bill has not yet been voted as law.
Arizona law prohibits using AFFF for training and testing, but it can still be used in emergency response and fire prevention operations. The law does not restrict the manufacture, sale or distribution of AFFF. Furthermore, the state does not recommend any specific product to replace AFFF.
Thus, fire departments must learn about PFAS-free solutions from the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse directory or from the DOD’s recommendations, as suggested by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality — ADEQ. When it comes to firefighter turnout gear, there are no state-level initiatives for replacing these with safe, PFAS-free ones.
The state of Arizona did not set its regulatory limits for PFAS, and ADEQ takes the health advisory levels issued by the Environmental Protection Agency for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
In March 2023, the EPA groundbreakingly set the limit for these two, the most widespread types of PFAS, to 4 parts per trillion (ppt) each. The very low limit signals that exposure to even the smallest amount of PFAS is hazardous.
Without a doubt, for Arizona firefighters, the risk of developing PFAS-caused cancers is real. There is enough evidence that chronic exposure to PFAS can cause severe health effects. A 2023 medical study demonstrates that skin, prostate, testicular, brain, rectal cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are higher among firefighters than among the general population.
A study from 2020 showed an elevated mortality rate from all cancers among firefighters, while a public health study from 2021, focusing exclusively on volunteer firefighters’ PFAS exposure, concluded that they have higher PFAS levels in their blood compared to the general population.
The Vincere Cancer Center, based in Scottsdale, set up a First Responder Screening Program in 2018 after noticing that cancer is becoming an epidemic among the state’s firefighters. The program now runs statewide. Over the years, doctors have diagnosed many aggressive end-stage cancers, especially the thyroid, kidney and testicular cancers, in the fire service.
Manufacturers did not reveal for many years that firefighter’s gear, which was meant to protect them, could make them sick. The facts slowly started to surface thanks to toxicology studies.
A study conducted in 2023 examined textiles used in turnout gear. The researchers found high concentrations of PFAS in the two outer layers, the moisture barrier and the outer shell, and proved that PFAS migrates to the thermal liner, which is in direct contact with the skin. The results suggested that with the use of non-PFAS-based water repellent, this unnecessary professional hazard could be eliminated.
The International Association of Firefighters has been lobbying for years, urging local fire departments and citizens to call for PFAS-free equipment to reduce cancer risk. In March 2023, the association filed a suit against the National Fire Protection Association for imposing a testing standard requiring PFAS. Several fire departments in Arizona have joined the fight and are collaborating with researchers from the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health to identify and reduce exposure to PFAS.
Better awareness of PFAS exposure and cancer risk makes firefighters more cautious regarding the safer handling and decontaminating of their gear. However, the main focus should be on prevention and the elimination of unsafe equipment.
An overarching federal program and fund that invests in research and supports states and fire departments to switch to PFAS-free turnout gear is essential to achieve this. We can all contribute to the change by speaking up for responsible and just regulations safeguarding our firefighters and communities, such as the PFAS Alternatives ACT.
Editor’s note: Jonathan Sharp is chief financial officer at the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. in Birmingham, Alabama. The firm aids civilian and military firefighters across the country, including Arizona. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Share with others
