Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42035339›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of industrial medicine2026

Serum PFAS in Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Firefighters From Six U.S. Airport Fire Departments.

Miriam M Calkins, Yiwen Liu, Gavin Horn, Antonia M Calafat, Judith M Graber, Shawn C Beitel, Alberto J Caban-Martinez, Julianne Cook Botelho, Randy Krause, Rob Mathis and 10 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of industrial medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Miriam M CalkinsNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Yiwen LiuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Gavin HornFire Safety Research Institute, UL Research Institutes, Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Antonia M CalafatNational Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Judith M GraberDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2981-4289
Shawn C BeitelDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Alberto J Caban-MartinezDepartment of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Julianne Cook BotelhoNational Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Randy KrausePort of Seattle Fire Department, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Rob MathisPort of Portland Fire Department, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Jeff HughesOrange County Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local, Tustin, California, USA.
Casey GrantDSRAE LLC, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA.
Jaclyn M GoodrichDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Amy NematollahiDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Alesia M JungExponent Inc., Menlo Park, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4469-0213
Alissa D ColemanDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Sally LittauDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Brooke A HawkesDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Alexander C MayerNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2141-9033
Jefferey L BurgessDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2362-9509

Funding

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) EMW-2015-FP-00213Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) EMW-2018-FP-00086Intramural CDC HHS CC999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionUse of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a source of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for firefighters working in aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) settings. However, data characterizing the association between serum PFAS concentrations and exposure risk factors for ARFF firefighters are limited.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study, ARFF firefighters (N = 193) from six U.S. commercial airports provided serum for quantification of nine PFAS and completed a survey in 2019-2020. A drinking water sample from each fire station was also analyzed for 29 PFAS. Serum PFAS concentrations were compared with demographically-similar participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-March 2020. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify factors associated with serum PFAS concentrations.

resultsGeometric mean serum concentrations of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) branched isomers, and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) were statistically higher in ARFF firefighters compared with NHANES participants. PFAS were detected in tap water at three fire departments, but only one department was characterized by detection of select PFAS (perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), PFOS, and PFHxS) in both water and serum. Past employment, detection of PFAS in drinking water, and age were positively associated with select PFAS concentrations; a recent change in workplace AFFF behavior or practice, female sex, and Black race exhibited inverse associations.

conclusionsParticipants reporting changes in workplace behavior, policy, or practice had lower summed PFAS concentrations, suggesting these measures may help reduce exposure. Continued research is needed to evaluate exposure reduction strategies for firefighters, particularly those working in ARFF settings.

Indexed as

FirefightersFluorocarbonsOccupational ExposureRescue WorkAdultAircraftAirportsCross-Sectional StudiesDrinking WaterFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysRisk FactorsUnited StatesDrinking WaterFluorocarbonsaircraft rescue and firefightingairportbiomonitoringenvironmental exposuresfirefightersoccupational exposuresPer‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substancesPFAS

Identifiers

PMID42035339
PMCPMC13231396

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.