The formula of the fire suppressant AFFF was devised by the U.S. Navy and the 3M company in 1966. Since then, military firefighters have been using it for jet fuel and petroleum fires on nearly all bases nationwide. This led to unimaginable contamination with PFAS, as the fire suppressant contains between 50% and 98% of these harmful chemicals. Currently, the PFAS concentration at Air Force Plant 6 is 121,000 ppt, which exceeds the safe exposure limit by over 1,700 times. While military firefighters might have a higher risk of developing illnesses related to toxic exposure, all veterans who spent a considerable time at this facility should keep a close eye on their health.
What toxic agents were present on Air Force Plant 6?
Although PFAS are the only known toxic agents lurking on Air Force Plant 6, there might be other contaminants of concern there. Out of the PFAS group, there are two chemicals that are perhaps the most dangerous, specifically PFOA and PFOS. While the current safe exposure limit to both is 70 ppt, the Environmental Protection Agency has recently proposed substantially lower limits – 0,004 ppt for PFOA and 0,02 ppt for PFOS.
According to the proposed rule, the PFOA level at Air Force Plant 6 is 20 million times over the limit, whereas the PFOS level eclipses it by more than one million times. The presence of such high concentrations of PFAS in the environment of the military base greatly endangers the health of veterans who spent time there, as exposure to these chemicals results in a disease only within several years to several decades from the first contact with PFAS.
What diseases can you develop following toxic exposure at Air Force Plant 6?
Veterans who intend to file a military base toxic exposure claim should know that only certain diagnoses can make them eligible. This is because, while toxic exposure can cause numerous health problems, only some have a strong association with it that can also be supported by medical evidence. The following is the complete list of diagnoses that might deem veterans who were stationed at Air Force Plant 6 for at least 1 cumulative year entitled to compensation:
Since 1990, we have been dedicating our efforts to pursuing financial compensation for toxic exposure victims, and many of our clients are veterans. If you spent time at Air Force Plant 6 and suffer from a disease that might be related to toxic exposure, do not hesitate to reach out to our skilled attorneys, as they have the necessary experience, resources, and knowledge to assist you in filing a military base toxic exposure claim.
