08/21/2026
New research continues to expand the conversation around chemical exposure in the fire service—and it goes well beyond PFAS.
Recent peer-reviewed studies and technical reports are examining:
🔥 PAHs in firefighter PPE — Research found contaminants can pe*****te beyond the outer shell and accumulate within multiple layers of turnout gear.
🧪 PFAS and gear wear — NIST found that abrasion, heat, and weathering can change measurable PFAS levels in firefighter hoods, gloves, and wildland clothing.
🏠 Fire station air — Researchers detected PFAS and other semivolatile organic compounds in fire station air, including gear-storage environments.
⚗️ Heavy metals & flame retardants — Biomonitoring research continues to demonstrate that firefighter chemical-exposure concerns extend well beyond a single class of compounds.
The larger issue is cumulative exposure.
Firefighters don’t encounter chemicals only during active fire suppression. PPE, occupational clothing, contaminated equipment, and the station environment are increasingly being examined as potential pieces of a much larger exposure picture.
There are also important limitations. Detection does not automatically establish absorption, health effects, or causation. We need to be careful not to make claims beyond what the science demonstrates.
But the direction of the research reinforces something we strongly believe:
Firefighters deserve greater transparency about the chemistry of the equipment and clothing they wear.
At ESSHA, that’s one of the reasons we’re pushing for better testing, greater chemical transparency, and occupational textiles designed with exposure reduction in mind.
