Read the full article by David Gambacorta and Barbara Laker (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
“Firefighters have long been expected to scale ladders, endure intense heat, and rummage through debris.
They’ve had little sense, though, of what effect those activities might have on the dangerous chemicals that lurk within their protective equipment.
A new government study offers some clues. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that the PFAS-treated textiles in firefighters’ jackets and pants tend to release more PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, when subjected to wear and tear, or exposed to high temperatures.
‘In general, we found that distressing [the fabric] does lead to an increase in the measurable amount of PFAS,’ said Rick Davis, a materials research engineer in the institute’s Fire Research Division.” …