This week, firefighters first asked for independent testing of PFAS, a chemical substance related to cancer in the equipment, and asked the union to abandon the sponsorship of chemical and equipment manufacturers.
Sean Mitchell, the captain of the Nantucket Fire Department, worked every day for 15 years. Wearing that large suit can protect him from the heat and flames at work. But last year, he and his team encountered disturbing research: toxic chemicals on equipment used to protect lives could make them seriously ill.
This week, Captain Mitchell and other members of the International Firefighters Association, the largest firefighters association in the United States, asked union officials to take action. They hope to conduct independent tests on PFAS and the chemicals it uses, and ask the union to get rid of the sponsorship of equipment manufacturers and the chemical industry. In the next few days, it is expected that representatives representing more than 300,000 members of the union will vote on the measure-for the first time.
”We are exposed to these chemicals every day,” Captain Mitchell said. “And the more I study, the more I feel like the only one who makes these chemicals says these chemicals.”
With the worsening of the effects of climate change, the safety of firefighters has become an urgent problem to be solved. Climate change has increased the temperature and caused the country to suffer increasingly devastating fires, triggering these demands. In October, twelve firefighters in California filed a lawsuit against 3M, Chemours, EI du Pont de Nemours and other manufacturers. Last year, a record 4.2 million acres were burned in the state, claiming that these companies deliberately manufactured it for decades. And sales of fire fighting equipment. Contains toxic chemicals without warning about the danger of chemicals.
”Firefighting is a dangerous profession and we don’t want our firefighters to catch fire. They need this protection.” said Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “But we now know that PFAS can work, and it won’t always work.”
Dr. Birnbaum added: “Many of the respiratory tracts migrate out and enter the air, and the breathing is on their hands and on their bodies.” “If they take home to wash, they will take PFAS home.
DuPont stated that it was “disappointed” with the firefighters seeking a ban on sponsorship, and its commitment to the profession was “unwavering.” 3M said it has “responsibility” for PFAS and continues to work with unions. Chemours declined to comment.
Compared with deadly flames, buildings surrounded by smoke or forest hells where firefighters are fighting, the risks of chemicals in fire fighting equipment seem pale. But in the past three decades, cancer has become the leading cause of firefighter deaths across the country, accounting for 75% of the deaths of active firefighters in 2019.
Research conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the United States found that firefighters’ cancer risk is 9% higher than that of the general population in the United States and the risk of dying from the disease is 14% higher. Health experts point out that firefighters have the highest risk of testicular cancer, mesothelioma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the incidence has not decreased, although American firefighters now use airbags similar to diving equipment to protect themselves from Fire poisonous smoke.
Jim Burneka, a firefighter in Dayton, Ohio, said: “This is not a death on a traditional job. Firefighters fall off the floor or the roof collapses next to us.” Nationwide Reduce the cancer risk of employees. “This is a new kind of responsible death. It is still the job that kills us. It’s just that we took off our boots and died.”
Although it is difficult to establish a direct link between chemical exposure and cancer, especially in individual cases, health experts warn that chemical exposure is increasing the risk of cancer for firefighters. The culprit: the foam used by firefighters to extinguish particularly dangerous flames. Some states have taken action to prohibit their use.
However, a study published last year by researchers from the University of Notre Dame found that firefighters’ protective clothing contains a large number of similar chemicals to keep the protective clothing waterproof. Researchers have found that these chemicals fall off the clothes, or in some cases migrate to the inner layer of the coat.
The chemical substances in question belong to a class of synthetic compounds called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are found in a range of products, including snack boxes and furniture. PFAS are sometimes referred to as “eternal chemicals” because they are not completely degraded in the environment and are therefore associated with a variety of health effects, including cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, asthma, and thyroid disease.
Graham F. Peaslee, professor of experimental nuclear physics, chemistry and biochemistry at Notre Dame de Paris, who is in charge of the research, said that although some forms of PFAS are being phased out, alternatives have not been proven to be safer.
Dr. Peaslee said: “This is a bigger risk factor, but we can eliminate this risk, but you cannot eliminate the risk of breaking into a burning building.” “And they didn’t tell the firefighters about it. So they Wearing it, wandering between calls.” He said. “That’s long-term contact, that’s not good.”
Doug W. Stern, director of media relations for the International Firefighters Association, said that for many years, it has been policy and practice that members only wear fire fighting equipment in the event of a fire or emergency.
The Biden administration has stated that it will make PFAS a priority. In his campaign documents, President Biden promised to designate PFOS as a hazardous substance so that manufacturers and other polluters would pay for cleaning and set national drinking water standards for the chemical. New York, Maine and Washington have already taken action to ban PFAS in food packaging, and other bans are also in the pipeline.
”It is necessary to exclude PFAS from daily products such as food, cosmetics, textiles, carpets,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization engaged in environmental sanitation. “In addition, the percentage of firefighters exposed is also very high.”
Lon. Ron Glass, president of the Orlando Professional Fire Workers Association, has been a firefighter for 25 years. In the past year, two of his companions have died of cancer. He said: “When I was first hired, the number one cause of death was a fire accident at work and then a heart attack.” “Now it’s all cancer.”
”At first, everyone blamed the different materials or foams that burned. Then, we started to study it more in-depth and began to study our bunker equipment.” He said. “The manufacturer initially told us that there is nothing wrong and no harm. It turns out that PFAS is not only on the outer shell, but also against our skin in the inner lining.”
Lieutenant Glass and his colleagues are now urging the International Firefighters Association (which represents firefighters and paramedics in the United States and Canada) to conduct further tests. Their formal resolution was submitted to the union’s annual meeting this week, and they also asked the union to work with manufacturers to develop safer alternatives.
At the same time, Captain Mitchell is urging unions to reject future sponsorships from chemical and equipment manufacturers. He believes the money has slowed down action on the issue. Records show that in 2018, the union received approximately $200,000 in revenue from companies including fabric manufacturer WL Gore and equipment manufacturer MSA Safety.
Mr. Stern pointed out that the union supports research on PFAS exposure science related to firefighting appliances and is collaborating with researchers on three major studies, one involving PFAS in firefighters’ blood, and one studying dust from the fire department to determine PFAS content, and the third test of PFAS fire-fighting equipment. He said the union also supports other researchers applying for grants to study PFAS issues.
WL Gore said that it remains confident in the safety of its products. MSA Security did not respond to a request for comment.
Another obstacle is that manufacturers occupy an important position in the National Fire Protection Association, which oversees fire equipment standards. For example, half of the members of the committee responsible for overseeing the standards of protective clothing and equipment come from the industry. A spokesperson for the organization said that these committees represent “a balance of interests, including the fire department.”
Diane Cotter’s husband Paul, a firefighter in Worcester, Massachusetts, was told seven years ago that he had cancer. He was one of the first to raise concerns about PFAS. After 27 years of service, her husband was just promoted to lieutenant in September 2014. “But in October, his career ended,” Ms. Kotter said. He was diagnosed with cancer. And I can’t tell you how shocking it is. “
She said that European firefighters no longer use PFAS, but when she started writing manufacturers in the United States, there was “no answer.” She said the actions taken by the union were important, even though it was too late for her husband. Ms. Kurt said: “The hardest part is that he cannot return to work.”
Post time: Feb-04-2021