Two dozen firefighters are being represented in a California district court case against foam makers and manufacturers of personal protective gear worn by firefighters. The suit alleges that gear used by firefighters contain significant amounts of chemicals known as PFAS that are linked to distinct health problems including prostate cancer. The plaintiffs, all firefighters, are diagnosed with cancer, and were found to have PFAS in their blood at levels well above national averages.
There have been hundreds of lawsuits filed against manufacturers of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, but this lawsuit is the first to seek damages from the manufacturers of personal protective gear. From their side, manufacturers deny any wrongdoing and caution that some substances found in firefighter gear are “polymers of low concern” that should not be grouped in with other PFAS.