Living and working offshore: How PFAS from firefighting foam impacts crew on ships and rigs

PFAS chemicals are found in firefighting foams used on ships, offshore rigs, and maritime vessels to extinguish liquid fuel fires. These synthetic chemicals don't break down naturally in the environment and accumulate in organic tissue. PFAS have historically been used in AFFF systems installed on vessels to protect against fires.

Many workers are at higher risk of occupational exposure to PFAS because of firefighting and liquid fuel exposure, according to the CDC and NIOSH. Offshore workers may come into contact with PFAS during routine safety drills, emergency responses, maintenance of equipment, and environmental contamination around boats.

Bioaccumulation in maritime workers

A maritime crew may be exposed to PFAS after working aboard vessels where AFFF is stored or used for many years, since PFAS do not degrade easily and accumulate over time. Due to their long biological half-lives, PFAS chemicals tend to persist in the body for a long time after initial exposure.

Foam residues, spills, and routine maintenance tasks can expose marine crew members to chronic, low-level exposures. A worker working offshore could also be exposed to PFAS in water and food sourced in proximity to ship channels and ports where PFAS persist after firefighting activities. Because offshore crews live in the same environment where PFAS contamination occurs, they are exposed for a longer period of time than land-based workers.

Elevated PFAS levels in fire-related occupations

Firefighter occupations, which also include maritime crews using AFFF, are associated with elevated blood levels of PFAS compared with the general population. Researchers have found that firefighters are exposed to PFAS compounds through foams, gear, and scene contamination.

Researchers found firefighters to have higher levels of several PFAS compounds in their bodies than other frontline workers, suggesting that repeated exposure to AFFF and related sources creates measurable internal accumulation. These findings underscore that occupational contact with PFAS from firefighting foam use leads to elevated body burdens, an important consideration for long-term offshore workers who perform or assist in firefighting, testing, and vessel safety drills.

Health risks for offshore workers

Multiple public health entities characterize PFAS exposure as a potential contributor to a variety of serious health effects relevant to workers exposed offshore. Cancer risks include increased likelihood of kidney, testicular, and possibly other organ cancers in epidemiologic and occupational settings. PFAS accumulation in the body may affect liver function and immune response. It has been shown that PFAS exposure can impact hormones and metabolic processes, raising concerns for chronic disease.

Although most specific research has focused on firefighters and other professions with heavy firefighting foam contact, these studies are relevant to maritime workers at risk of PFAS exposures on ships and offshore platforms because the chemical sources, AFFF and PFAS-treated gear and materials, and exposure pathways are similar.

Environmental contamination around vessels and rigs

Offshore infrastructure, including ports, ship channels, and rig service waters, can act as vectors for PFAS contamination due to collective foam discharges during emergencies, training releases, or large-scale industrial responses. Environmental studies following large firefighting foam deployments, such as industrial fire response into the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay, found PFAS compounds in surface waters, indicating that foam-derived PFAS persisted in marine systems for months after release.

This kind of environmental contamination is highly relevant to offshore workers who live and work near continuous PFAS sources, such as recurrent foam use in port emergencies, may inhale PFAS in aerosolized marine spray, and experience dermal contact with contaminated ship surfaces or equipment. PFAS are accumulated in the body through direct contact with foam during drills and emergency responses, as well as environmental exposure from contaminated water and surfaces.

ELG Law can help maritime workers pursue compensation

During the past 35 years, the Environmental Litigation Group has represented workers who have been exposed to toxic substances. We can help you file a Jones Act claim if you developed cancer after working on ships or offshore rigs that used AFFF. To file your claim, please submit your employment records and medical documentation.