PFAS Exposure Assessment for Firefighter Turnout Gear and Occupational Protective Equipment
RoseyFields conducted an occupational PFAS exposure assessment involving firefighter turnout gear and related protective equipment used in emergency response operations. We evaluated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including PFOA, PFOS, and related fluorinated compounds associated with water-resistant and oil-resistant textile treatments, moisture barriers, and durable protective materials.
Our team performed surface wipe sampling, PFAS analytical review, material-source evaluation, exposure pathway assessment, and human health risk assessment. The technical analysis considered PFAS migration within gear layers, surface residue transfer, dermal contact, sweat-mediated transport, object-to-hand transfer, hand-to-mouth incidental ingestion, and potential cross-contamination from the occupational environment. RoseyFields also evaluated the chemical profile of detected PFAS to assess whether the contamination was consistent with manufacturing-derived materials, use-related weathering, or environmental accumulation.
RoseyFields identified and characterized a potential exposure class consisting of workers who repeatedly wore, handled, stored, and maintained PFAS-containing protective equipment during routine job activities. We evaluated how frequency of use, duration of contact, contact with skin-facing materials, heat, perspiration, and routine handling could contribute to cumulative exposure. This approach allowed our team to assess how PFAS-containing occupational gear can function as a persistent exposure reservoir and how affected worker populations may be evaluated using environmental forensics, exposure science, and risk assessment methods.
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.