Read the full article by Susan Shain (High Country News)
“On the day after Christmas in 2020, San Francisco firefighter Matt Alba had a seizure. At the hospital, doctors discovered a tumor the size of a pear: It was brain cancer.
It’s a diagnosis that, in Alba’s line of work, is tragically common. Research suggests that firefighters have higher rates of cancer than the general population, including a 26% higher risk for brain cancer. In 2023, nearly three-quarters of active firefighter deaths were due to cancer, the leading cause of death in the profession nationwide.
Though it’s hard to determine a single reason for their elevated cancer risk — firefighters are exposed to a range of toxins in their everyday duties — one obvious point of contact is their gear, known as turnouts. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — a group of chemicals known for their waterproofing qualities — have been added to firefighter turnouts since the 1970s, years after chemical companies first realized that the compounds were hazardous to human health.” …