PFAS Exposure and Cancer Risk Assessment for Firefighting Foam Application and Fire Training Operations
RoseyFields conducted an environmental exposure assessment for firefighting and fire training operations involving aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). The project evaluated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with a focus on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), chemicals commonly associated with legacy AFFF formulations and occupational foam-use scenarios.
We evaluated potential exposure pathways associated with foam application, including inhalation of aerosolized foam, incidental ingestion of spray or droplets, dermal contact, and secondary contact with contaminated equipment or residues. Our team performed field-based exposure characterization using breathing-zone sampling concepts, distance-based exposure analysis, PFAS concentration evaluation, and quantitative cancer risk assessment methods to estimate how exposure intensity may change with proximity to foam application activities.
Our team used the results to characterize a potential exposure class consisting of workers and response personnel who may be present during AFFF application, training, or related emergency response activities. The assessment provided a technical framework for identifying affected populations, evaluating exposure pathways, and supporting risk-based decision-making for PFAS exposure reduction, respiratory protection, and improved environmental health and safety practices in firefighting and industrial fire suppression settings.
This investigation was conducted under the direction of Dr. Paul Rosenfeld, an environmental scientist and environmental forensic expert with extensive experience in environmental exposure assessment, toxicology, air quality, environmental fate and transport, risk assessment, and environmental forensics. Through RoseyFields LLC, Dr. Rosenfeld provides scientific consulting, environmental forensic analysis, regulatory support, and expert witness services involving environmental contamination, human exposure, and public health. His technical oversight helped ensure that the methodologies, scientific interpretations, and conclusions presented in this case study are consistent with accepted scientific principles and current best practices.