Serum concentrations of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) among men from the Danish fire services and Armed Forces
By Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen, Dorthe Furstrand Lauritzen, Regitze Sølling Wils, Anne Thoustrup Saber, Ulla Vogel, Niels Erik Ebbehøj, Johnni Hansen, Julie Elbæk Pedersen, Tina Kold Jensen, and Maria Helena Guerra Andersen
Int. J. Hyg. Environ.
March 25, 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114559
Background
Per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) have been used extensively in firefighting foams with resulting occupational exposure among firefighters.
Objective
To examine serum concentrations of PFAS among current and former employed and volunteer firefighters from the Danish fire services and Armed Forces.
Methods
During 2023–2024, 429 men from the Danish fire services and Armed Forces participated in the study. They were asked to provide a blood sample and fill in an online questionnaire. Concentrations of 15 PFAS were measured in serum. Measurements from the general population sampled in 2021 (the ENFORCE study) were used as reference. Associations between occupational factors and serum PFAS were assessed using multiple linear regression.
Results
Participants were from municipal fire services (n = 208), governmental fire services (n = 59), civilian airport fire services (n = 50), the air force (n = 98) and the navy (n = 14). Their median age was 50 years and median year of commencing service was 1999. While serum concentrations of PFAS among most participants were at level with those of the general population, civilian airport firefighters had higher serum concentrations of especially perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Age-adjusted geometric means were 1.42 ng/mL for PFHxS, 0.28 ng/mL for PFHpS and 6.92 ng/mL for total PFOS among civilian airport firefighters.
Conclusion
Higher serum concentrations of PFHxS, PFHpS and PFOS among civilian airport firefighters likely reflected past occupational exposure to firefighting foam. Findings emphasized the importance of regulatory measures and substitution.
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