The U.S. Military has been using a special type of foam to fight fires for decades. The foam was extremely successful in extinguishing fires, particularly the ones where petrochemical compounds are involved. However, there are major health concerns associated with exposure to this foam. The very military firefighters who were fighting fires were being exposed to a cancer-causing product while working to stop the spread and re-ignition of fires.
While the aqueous film-forming foam itself is not classified as a carcinogen, the firefighting foam does contain several known carcinogenic compounds, meaning that it has been shown to cause certain types of cancer. This is because many AFFF types contain perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which both are possibly carcinogenic to humans. According to several studies, these chemicals in aqueous film-forming foams have been linked to a wide range of cancers, particularly cancer of the kidneys, bladder, and testicles.
The chemical-based firefighting foam was designed, marketed, manufactured, distributed, and sold by large companies, such as:
- 3M Company
- Tyco Fire Products
- Du Pont de Nemours
- The Chemours Company
- Buckeye Fire Equipment
- Chemguard
Their products have been used extensively throughout all military branches, including the U.S. Army, for over 50 years.
If you or someone you love has been affected by AFFF manufacturers’ failure to provide adequate warnings of the risks associated with their product, please feel free to contact our experts at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., as you may be entitled to compensation.