Wear and tear changes measurable PFAS levels in firefighter hoods, gloves and wildland gear‎

One of the first steps in addressing health concerns is measurement. For firefighters, one health concern is that their gear commonly contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down naturally in the environment. Since 2021, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been systematically measuring PFAS concentrations in firefighter equipment.