US veterans have greater levels of Pfas in their blood than civilians, new study finds
Summary
A new study found that younger US military veterans have higher levels of toxic "forever chemicals" called Pfas in their blood compared to non-veterans. These chemicals come from firefighting foam used at military bases and are linked to serious health problems, but veterans’ blood is not regularly tested for them.Key Facts
- Younger veterans (ages 20-39) have 13% to 24% higher levels of Pfas in their blood than civilians.
- About 58% of veterans in this age group have Pfas levels above the safety threshold set by US health experts.
- Pfas are chemicals that do not break down naturally and are used to make products resistant to water and stains.
- Exposure mainly comes from firefighting foam used at over 720 military bases, and from military burn pits.
- Pfas are linked to cancer, kidney and liver disease, immune problems, and birth defects.
- The study used health data from 2003 to 2018 and found no similar increased levels in older veterans.
- The military is phasing out Pfas firefighting foam due to contamination concerns.
- Blood testing for Pfas is not routinely done for service members, even though exposure risks are clear.
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