Have you ever caught a whiff of jet exhaust fumes while in an airplane and thought to yourself, “that can’t be good for my health?” Imagine the people who work at the airport. They are exposed to all sorts of hazardous chemicals not only from jet engine exhaust, but also from other chemicals used for airport operations. One group that is particularly at risk are members of the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting teams.
Aircraft rescue and firefighting at commercial and military airports
Commercial airports in the US follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards for providing rescue and firefighting capabilities (14 CFR Part 139). This includes airport emergency response in the context of aviation accidents that involve jet fuel fires. Military airports also follow separate Department of Defense (DoD) requirements for rescue and firefighting. All aircraft rescue and firefighting teams are trained to deal with aircraft fires and flammable liquid hazards that are particularly challenging and dangerous.
Whether in commercial or military airport settings, the firefighters involved in airport rescue operations are exposed to high levels of PFAS chemicals due to the use of firefighting foams. And it’s not just the firefighters who are exposed - other members of the rescue, structural, and operations teams are also at risk.
Here, we take a look at the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams at airports, the risks to airport personnel, and changes that are slowly taking place to mitigate the risks.
Exposure to PFAS-containing firefighting foams
Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a type of firefighting foam used for fuel fires, where water or chemical agents aren’t suitable. Since the 1970s, the use of AFFF at airports has become very commonplace given its effectiveness in putting out jet fuel fires. In fact, by 2004, the FAA mandated the use of firefighting foams that meet DoD military level specifications (a.k.a. “Mil-Spec”). Essentially, these foams had very high levels of PFAS chemicals that made them particularly effective for putting out large fuel fires.
The use of firefighting foams for commercial airline accidents is quite infrequent. Boeing’s Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents showed that there were only 11 significant accidents in 2023 (worldwide), and this number has been going down over the years. That said, the storage, testing, and use of firefighting foams for training are the biggest sources of PFAS contamination and exposure.
At commercial airports, FAA-compliant training must occur at a minimum of every three years to prove readiness to conduct rescue and firefighting operations. Most airports have protocols for more frequent training. And until 2023, all of this training involved the use of PFAS-containing AFFF to put out large fuel fires as part of readiness exercises.
Annual inspections of equipment are also conducted to assess readiness, including inspections of systems that store and deploy the firefighting foams. Parts of the assessment include dispensing firefighting foam to ensure proper operation. Unfortunately, standards for how to dispense and dispose of AFFF in these assessments were not specified by FAA until recently. This led to intentional disposal of firefighting foams onto the ground or concrete in many cases. It’s not unusual to have exposures as part of these assessments, as noted by one Fire Chief of a regional airport: “I would have guys literally walking through several inches of AFFF on the ground. It would also splatter and get on our skin in some cases. Not good.”
In addition to training and readiness assessments, accidental discharge of AFFF is a key source of PFAS contamination of soil, wastewater, and groundwater systems at and near the airport. In a recent incident in Maine, an accidental discharge from a fire suppression system spilled 1,600 gallons of AFFF into the environment. And in Vermont, 800 gallons of highly concentrated AFFF spilled over in an aircraft hangar and into the drain, leading to contamination of the wastewater treatment plant. These are just two recent examples that highlight the ongoing issues with AFFF storage and use at commercial and military airports.
The move to PFAS-free firefighting foams
There has been mounting evidence of environmental contamination and potential health risks of AFFF. In response, U.S. Congress began taking action with regard to PFAS-containing foams. In 2018, Congress directed the FAA to loosen the requirement for commercial airports to use Mil-Spec foams (i.e. PFAS-containing foams). By 2022, Congress directed the FAA to develop a transition plan to replace all AFFF with fluorine free alternatives. Finally, in January 2023, the DoD issued Military Specification MIL-PRF-32725, which is a fluorine-free foam certification. These changes are beginning to increase the use of fluorine-free foams at commercial airports, but the transition has been slow. It will be important for aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel to be vigilant about reducing exposures to PFAS-containing AFFF as much as possible.
Early detection and monitoring of PFAS exposure could help
Testing your PFAS levels could be helpful for aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel. This is also the case for other airport workers exposed to PFAS directly or through contaminated drinking water. The CDC provides guidance on PFAS blood testing, including information for your physician. And according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), the key benefits of testing include:
- Increased awareness of exposure so that exposure can be reduced
- Identification of the potential risk for health conditions associated with PFAS exposure to inform subsequent preventive care
- Relief from the stress of not knowing one’s exposure level
- Empowerment of communities to respond to contamination
- Help in monitoring whether efforts to reduce exposure are working through the conduct of baseline and follow-up tests
Relentless Health has developed an at-home PFAS test to help anyone who’s concerned about PFAS exposure. This PFAS test can help provide all of the above benefits noted in the NASEM consensus study and more. Learn more about this PFAS test today!
