Firefighting Foam: Lifesaving or Lethal?
PFAS in firefighting foam have been linked to cancer and other serious conditions
PFAS
Firefighting foam contains substances called PFAS. Certain types of PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS, can be toxic. There are two primary reasons why:
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Forever Chemicals
These types of PFAS are often known as 'forever chemicals' because they do not break down in the environment or human bodies. The ramifications for health could be life-long.
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Carcinogens
These chemicals have also been proven to be carcinogenic.
Health Concerns
Carcinogens cause many cancers by affecting your DNA on a cellular level. These chemicals can also weaken your immune system. Aside from cancers, PFAS have also been shown to cause other conditions, such as fertility and pregnancy issues, liver damage, increased cholesterol, asthma, thyroid disease, and more.
Costs
Treatments for these types of conditions can be extremely expensive. Ultimately, exposure to firefighting foam could mean a lifetime of suffering—and struggling to pay staggering hospital bills. If this is your experience, it’s time to be proactive about compensation for your pain.
Qualifying for Compensation
There are many people beyond firefighters who come into daily contact with firefighting foam and similar fire-retardant chemicals. Persons under significant threat of fire may work in an environment laced with carcinogenic preventative measures. This is especially prevalent in the military, aeronautic, or construction industries.
Exposure does not have to be job-related. Firefighting foam can affect entire communities through drinking water contaminated by chemical runoff. However, most people with a clear link between the contaminant and their condition experienced prolonged exposure.
To qualify, you need to prove that dangerous chemicals from firefighting foam were in your surroundings at high levels—and that you have a directly related injury.
Your Next Steps
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (a division of the CDC) states that exposure to PFAS is a public health concern. The CDC is currently investigating the downstream health effects of PFAS and firefighting foam. Despite this, many companies continue to sell and use PFOA products.
