It is well documented that firefighters have significantly higher rates of cancer than the general population, and these high rates have been associated with exposure to toxic chemicals on the job. However, most of the research on cancer in firefighters has been done in men, and less risk is known in women.

Now, a new study by the Silent Spring Institute has identified several chemical exposures firefighters face on the job that could increase their risk of developing breast cancer.

With more and more women entering the profession, it is important to understand the impact of workplace exposure on their health so that we can inform policies to reduce exposures and create a safer work environment.”

Ruthann Rudel, study co-author, director of research at the Silent Spring Institute

The study appears in the journal Toxic as part of a special issue on firefighter occupational exposures and health risks.

Rudel and her colleagues searched databases from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Toxicology Program to identify chemicals that cause mammary tumors in animals because these chemicals may increase the risk of cancer of breast In addition, the team looked for chemicals that have been associated with breast cancer in human studies.

The researchers then identified more than a hundred studies describing the various chemicals firefighters encounter on the job and checked these studies to see which of these workplace exposures also increased the risk of breast cancer.

The review found 12 chemicals or classes of chemicals that firefighters are highly exposed to on the job and are associated with breast cancer risk. The chemicals include, but are not limited to, benzene, PAHs, acetaldehyde, styrene, dioxins, flame retardants, PFAS and PCBs.

Firefighters can be exposed to a number of toxic chemicals when fighting fires – building fires, wildfires and vehicle fires. They also encounter harmful substances in their protective gear, air and dust from the fire station, and diesel exhaust from fire trucks.

A few years ago, Rudel and her collaborators in California published a study in which they found that female firefighters in San Francisco had higher blood levels of cancer-causing PFAS than female office workers in downtown San Francisco. The researchers also found that female firefighters have much higher levels of flame retardants, which are also carcinogens, in their bodies.

Manufacturers add PFAS to firefighting equipment and firefighting foams. “But we don’t know where the flame retardants come from — it could come from tools or some other source,” says Rudel. “If it turns out that chemicals are being added to participation equipment, it would be important to know so they can be replaced with safer alternatives.”

Similarly, diesel exhaust from fire trucks contains PAHs, so switching to electric trucks would also help reduce exposure, she says. “It’s important to look at all the equipment and materials that firefighters routinely use.”

Understanding the risks women face in the workplace can not only help change policies to improve worker safety, but could also ensure that women workers receive the health care and other benefits they need if they develop breast cancer.

“This study fills an important research gap by highlighting the unique health risks female firefighters face from occupational exposure to toxic chemicals, particularly chemicals linked to breast cancer,” says Dr. Dan Whu, Medical Director at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). ).

According to the IAFF, 20 states currently have presumptive laws specifying breast cancer as an occupational disease. This entitles firefighters to workers’ compensation, disability, sick leave and coverage for medical expenses if they are diagnosed with an illness. Another 16 states have laws with less specific language that could allow breast cancer to be included. On the other hand, at the federal level, current cancer presumption legislation does not include breast cancer.

“That means there are a lot of places in the country where female firefighters are not protected,” says Rudel. “We hope the results of our study will change that.”

Funding for this work came from California Breast Cancer Research Program Grants #19UB-2900 and #23BB-1700 and the Silent Spring Institutes Safer Chemicals Program, which is funded by charitable gifts.