The VA May Begin PFAS Chemical Blood Testing of Service Members Who Use Firefighting Foam

A new study links the level of PFAS chemicals in the blood to a higher probability of testicular and other forms of cancer in military firefighters

Thursday, August 17, 2023 - The use of aqueous film-forming firefighting foam (AFFF) by the military, airports, and municipal firefighting companies is rampant in the United States and throughout the world. Aqueous Film Forming Firefighting Foam (AFFF) is the go-to chemical suppressant for firefighters used to extinguish jet fuel and petroleum fires. The chemical is also heavily used in a range of scenarios due to its unique properties. The military uses AFFF heavily as a degreaser of weaponry and equipment. Most oil and petroleum spills are cleaned using AFFF. AFFF is an aqueous solution containing low concentrations of specialized fluorochemical surfactants, which enable it to effectively combat flammable liquid fires. This foam creates a thin layer on the surface of the burning liquid, separating it from oxygen and suppressing the fire. Firefighters with testicular and other forms of AFFF cancer are filing AFFF lawsuits in an effort to hold the manufacturers of the product financially accountable for failing to warn them of the dangers of using the product.

PBS is reporting on a study that reveals a link between using aqueous film-forming firefighting foam (AFFF) and developing testicular cancer in firefighters. The far-reaching study looked at blood samples from thousands of firefighters and found elevated levels of toxins associated with AFFF made from PFAS forever chemicals. " A new federal study for the first time shows a direct association between PFOS, a PFAS chemical, found in the blood of thousands of military personnel and testicular cancer," according to PBS. "Using banked blood drawn from Air Force servicemen, researchers at the National Cancer Institute and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences found strong evidence that airmen who were firefighters had elevated levels of PFAS in their bloodstreams and weaker evidence for those who lived on installations with high levels of PFAS in the drinking water. And the airmen with testicular cancer had higher serum levels of PFOS than those who had not been diagnosed with cancer, said study co-author Mark Purdue, a senior investigator at NCI." According to the study, a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that PFAS forever chemical in AFFF causes a wide variety of diseases such as kidney cancer, and birth defects, and is suspected of contributing to the onset of neurological diseases like Parkinson's. The Institute recommends that the military screen personnel with blood tests meant to determine PFAS levels and to further test those with PFAS blood levels that are over a certain amount. Researchers estimate that more than 9000 service members have requested PFAS forever chemical blood tests and the results are alarming. "According to data provided by DoD, among more than 9,000 firefighters who requested the tests in fiscal year 2021, 96 percent had at least one of two types of PFAS in their blood serum," PBS reports.

Information provided by AFFFLawsuitCenter.com, a website devoted to providing news about AFFF and PFAS cancer, lymphoma and leukaemia claims, including a free no-cost, no-obligation AFFF Lawsuit Claim.