Differences in serum concentrations of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances by occupation among firefighters, other first responders, healthcare workers, and other essential workers in Arizona, 2020–2023
Using data from a large prospective cohort of frontline workers in Arizona, we compared serum concentrations of 14 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) among firefighters, other first responders, healthcare workers, and other frontline essential workers. We found that firefighters have higher concentrations of certain PFAS chemicals and the odds of detecting other PFAS chemicals are higher among healthcare workers compared with people in other occupations. Our findings highlight the importance of further action to reduce PFAS exposure within highly exposed occupational groups, such as firefighters, and the need to expand evaluation of exposure among other occupations, including healthcare workers.
Authors
- Cedar L. Mitchell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4811-2074)
- Sean T. O’Leary (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2365-582X)
- Shawn C. Beitel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1709-0906)
- James Hollister (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4328-1071)
- Jefferey L. Burgess (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2362-9509)
- Julia M. Fisher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4427-4882)
- Karen Lutrick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3480-849X)
- Ferris A. Ramadan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2039-5241)
- Katherine Ellingson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7624-312X)
- Zhihua Fan
Institutions
- New Jersey Department of Health (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Pima County Health Department (US)
- Epidemic Intelligence Service (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
- Published
- 2025-03-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-025-00753-7
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 6.88
Funders
- State of New Jersey Department of Health
- National Institutes of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases