An Army base in Germany probes whether past firefighting drills caused toxic chemicals found in fish samples taken from area waterways.
A recent routine test of Osan Air Base’s drinking water revealed low levels of a “forever chemical” commonly linked to industrial use and firefighting foam
A firefighter’s wife opened a storage bin in the basement and saw something she couldn’t unsee. She opened a mystery and is now sharing her results with the world. In this new “Truth of the Matter” podcast episode with @natashazouves, Diane Cotter explains how her husband’s diagnosis launched an investigation into the profession’s alarming rates of cancer — and into the toxic chemicals hiding in the gear that is supposed to protect firefighters. Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/ZQ1UvkRP9SA
Firefighters run into burning buildings to save strangers, wearing gear designed to protect them from flames. But for decades, that same gear — along with firefighting foam — has exposed them to forever chemicals (PFAS). Environmental policy expert Scott Faber with the Environmental Working Group explains that PFAS were added to firefighting foam and to firefighting gear to make it waterproof. Only in the last decade has the full cost begun to be exposed: repeated chemical exposure through the very tools meant to keep firefighters safe. Forever chemicals are everywhere in our lives— in our nonstick pans, couches, fast food wrappers, and now in rainwater everywhere on earth — and they are linked with serious health issues and…