U.S. senators request firefighters be included in PFAS exposure study

As many communities struggle with the widespread problem of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of 23 U.S. senators has requested leading federal agencies include firefighters in a PFAS health impact study.

The nationwide study, led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), was announced earlier this year, but the presence of firefighters was conspicuously absent from its investigation of the human health implications of PFAS contamination. For the senators, it flies in the very face of logic.

“As you are aware, PFAS chemicals are a byproduct of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), a fire suppressant agent, and have been linked to a number of adverse human health effects,” the senators wrote in a letter. “The potential ties between PFAS and various forms of cancer are of particular concern to military and civilian firefighters across the country who may have experienced long-term occupational exposure to PFAS due to the use of AFFF in firefighting and fire training exercises,” the lawmakers said.

“Several studies, including a multi-year study completed by CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), indicate that firefighters are at a higher risk of cancer compared to the general population in the U.S.,” the letter said.

These senators, led by U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA), pressed for further studies investigating PFAS health effects, and that they specifically include firefighters and others commonly interacting with the substances.

As is, by tacking the existing study under the auspices of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), investigators are able to explore contamination’s effects through a variety of exposures.