The new year brings a great deal of news to the issue of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, and their elimination from our environment. In early January, the Department of Defense (DoD) released new requirements for the use of firefighting foams that contain PFAS chemicals to put out jet-fuel fires, including regularly testing the foam to ensure that no PFAS chemicals are detected. This news comes as states like Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, and California have started to implement legislation that requires towns and municipalities to regularly test their water sources for PFAS chemicals and that bans products containing PFAS.
As the DoD moves to ban PFAS from firefighting foams, many states have not yet taken that step, putting their communities, fire companies and emergency personnel at risk for unnecessary exposure.
So, what are PFAS chemicals?
PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals’, are a group of man-made chemicals designed to make materials extremely resilient. These substances were first introduced to Americans in 1946 in the form of non-stick cookware designed by the DuPont Company. They have since been adopted by a variety of industries worldwide, finding their way into a wide range of products like water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, cosmetics, household commercial products and firefighting foams.
Why are PFAS chemicals so dangerous?
PFAS chemicals were specially designed to withstand high-temperature environments. Because of this, it is nearly impossible to break down the compounds that make up PFAS. Originally these compounds were designed to be helpful; unfortunately, unbeknownst at the time was the threat these forever chemicals pose to both human health and the natural environment. According to the EPA, PFAS chemicals can be found in our drinking water, soil, food, household and personal-care products.
According to one report, PFAS appears in the blood of 95% of people in the United States. Long-term exposure to these ‘forever chemicals’ can lead to various types of illnesses, including different types of cancer, asthma, thyroid problems and liver damage, to name a few.
The danger of PFAS is that the negative effects build over time. Say you smoke one cigarette; you’re not necessarily going to get lung cancer. But prolonged exposure to cigarettes will damage the lungs. This is the same for PFAS exposure. The greater the exposure, the larger the potential damage to your health. The only difference is that, unlike with using cigarettes, you might not know that you’re subjecting yourself to these chemicals.
PFAS exposure for emergency personnel
Emergency personnel – and firefighters especially – are exposed to ‘forever chemicals’ more than most. PFAS can be found on firefighter uniforms and equipment like Teflon tape. Still, the biggest exposure to firefighters comes from a type of PFAS known as aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF. In 1979, AFFF was introduced as an effective fire extinguisher and has been used widely by civilian airports and fire departments ever since as a fire suppressant due to its strong compounds.
Along with the DoD’s new requirements, in January, the Pentagon announced that fire foam purchased for military bases should be PFAS-free. This step was taken to curb the contamination of the drinking water around active military bases.
This is a good first step in stopping PFAS from contaminating our water sources, but now, many local fire departments are in a stand-off. Some have stopped using AFFF due to state regulations, while departments in states that haven’t yet passed legislation are still free to use this effective fire suppressant.
Where does this leave fire departments?
The first thing fire departments can do is reach out to their local and federal government representatives and campaign for efforts to enhance regulation. The change will only happen when there is enough pressure at the local and federal levels to pass legislation to protect our firefighters and the general public from these harmful chemicals.
PFAS testing is a viable option for fire departments who might not know if the foam, clothing, or equipment they are using contains PFAS chemicals. Still, fire departments can also look at the label on their clothing/equipment or call the manufacturer to find out if what they have contains PFAS.
Fire departments that are still using AFFF can do their part to protect the environment and their communities by implementing their own processes to contain the foam after it is used. Proper clean-up could help keep PFAS out of the soil and, eventually, local drinking sources.
The best way a firefighter can protect themself from exposure to PFAS is by making sure that they’re wearing all of their proper PPE before they start using the foam. But, if someone gets the foam over themself, they could use an alcohol-based wipe or rinse to clean off the excess foam from their uniforms.
What lies ahead
As we look ahead to 2023, it is important that the federal and local governments take action in creating legislation that will put requirements in place to move away from PFAS-related products and to regulate the continuous testing for PFAS in our water systems and products to limit exposure.
AFFF and other PFAS chemicals have been used for decades to protect firefighters and to put out fires, but we cannot accept them as a ‘necessary evil’. Technology has developed over the years, allowing manufacturers to create PFAS-free water-resistant products like durable water-repellent products and rain gear that are designed for commercial use. These products give hope to the development of a new generation of turndown gear that is PFAS-free.
As states move to draft legislation that eliminates the use of PFAS in commercial clothing and regulates the testing of their water sources, it is important that they also pass legislation that protects firefighters and emergency personnel. The hope is that states follow the blueprint that has been laid out by the Pentagon and the DoD to create regulations that will help prevent PFAS exposure.
As more and more states and agencies move to ban the use of AFFF, the federal government will be forced to listen and hopefully pass nationwide regulations that can be adopted by all 50 states.
About the Author
Anthony Canter
Anthony Canteris the Technical Director ofMicrobac Laboratories’ premier PFAS and environmental testing facility located in Marietta, Ohio. Anthony has a B.S. in Chemistry from Marietta College and began his analytical chemistry career withMicrobac Mariettain 2008, with a large focus on semivolatiles, volatiles, and different types of gas and liquid chromatography.
