UArizona granted $1.5M to study firefighters’ health risks

KTAR.COM | February 15, 2020

Read the full article by KTAR.COM

"PHOENIX — Firefighters put their lives on the line when battling out-of-control blazes, but there is increasing concern that they also face significant health risks from exposure to lesser-known hazards.

According to the University of Arizona’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are “a group of synthetic, fluorinated chemicals used worldwide since the 1940s” and are also a key ingredient in aqueous film-forming foam, also known as “firefighter foam,” which is used to extinguish flames fueled by combustible liquids.

There is also concern that significant residue from PFAS has contaminated much of the protective gear worn by firefighters.

While research on the risks posed to firefighters from these synthetic chemicals is scarce, U of A’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health associate dean of research Jeffrey Burgess will be digging deeper into the issue via a $1.5 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant..."