Use of Aqueous Film-Forming Foams and Knowledge of Perfluorinated Compounds Among Florida Firefighters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burgess JL ; Caban-Martinez, Alberto J. ; Calkins M ; Daunert S ; Deo SK ; Fent K ; Griffin K ; Kobetz EN ; Lee DJ ; Louzado Feliciano P ; Santiago KM ; Schaefer Solle N
• Description:
  The US Navy developed aqueous filmforming foam (AFFF) in the 1960s containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl subsances (PFAS) and synthetic foaming surfactants that allowed for improved firefighter safety, particularly for firefighters involved in liquid fuel and crash fire rescue operations and those using nozzles during structural firefighting. PFAS are also commonly used to water and stain-proof specific textiles such as the materials used to construct firefighter turnout gear. AFFFs have evolved to include a number of different formulations (including AFFFs that meet Military Specifications [MILSPEC], alcohol-resistant aqueous filmforming foam [AR-AFFF], etc.) that often, but not always, rely on PFAS compounds for proper foam performance. AFFFs used to fight class B petroleum fires have historically contained longer chain PFAS such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) that are associated with adverse health outcomes. PFOS use in new AFFFs and other products were banned in the European Union in 2011 and Canada in 2013, and major US manufacturers of AFFF indicated they would no longer produce PFOA-based fluorosurfactant foams after 2015. However, AFFFs typically have a long shelf life of up to 25 years. In addition, current fluorinated AFFFs contain shorter chain PFAS chemicals with less information on potential toxicity. Little is known about AFFF use and knowledge of legacy and current PFOA and PFOS chemicals among firefighters. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Firefighters Fires Occupational Health Protective Clothing Safety
• Keywords:
  Aqueous Solutions Chemical Protective Clothing Chemicals Fire Extinguishers Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Fire Retardants Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances PFAS
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; Florida ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  61
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056852
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2019 May; 61(5):e227-e231
• Contact Point Address:
  Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, DO, PhD, MPH, Department of Public Health Sciences, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 120 NW 14th Street, Room #1025, Miami, FL 33136
• Email:
  acaban@med.miami.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Perfluorocarbons (CAS RN 308069-13-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:54de7543c2a89027151478eae5a1378de6c0d6c49cc6f5badce2613e5e76e10b1c20b8872776c0a4fa2f9fd539021bbfa47c464fccef8da73f85811ed9b27860
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214350/cdc_214350_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 212.13 KB ]