In a recent peer-reviewed study by Harvard University that was published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, the Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) content in fire station dust was examined. The study was conducted in 15 fire stations throughout Massachusetts, including Boston.
89 dust and gear wipe samples were collected from different types of rooms as well as on the fire gear hanging in gear storage rooms. A total of twenty-four variants of PFAS were found in fire station dust which tightly correlated to the areas where fire gear is stored. The concentration of PFAS in the dust on the fire gear hanging in gear storage rooms was found to be an extremely elevated amount.