Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Stressed Structural Firefighter Gloves and Hoods, and Wildland Firefighter Coats, Shirts, and Pants

Published

May 12, 2026

Author(s)

Andre Thompson, Andrew Maizel, Audrey Tombaugh, Halen Solomon, Bruce Benner, Alix Rodowa, Michelle Donnelly, Rick Davis

Abstract

Structural and Wildland firefighter gear textiles have been found to contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), representing a potential source of exposure for firefighters. In this study, structural firefighter turnout gear refers to only the multilayered protective gloves and single-layer hoods of their entire turnout ensemble (the jacket and pants were reported previously). Wildland firefighter gear refers only to the single-layer coat, shirt, and pants. Previous studies have found higher concentrations of PFAS in older or used gear, though the source of PFAS relative to these increased concentrations remains unclear. To assess whether stressors experienced during use contribute to increased PFAS levels, this National Institute of Standards and Technology Technical Note reports measured concentrations of 56 PFAS in 22 textiles from structural firefighter gloves and hoods, wildland shirts, coats, and pants following exposure to abrasion, thermal stressing, or weathering (i.e., ultraviolet radiation with elevated humidity). Compared with corresponding unstressed textiles, glove layers showed higher individual and total summed (total) PFAS concentrations after thermal stressing, and hood textiles showed higher total PFAS after abrasion and thermal stressing. Wildland textiles exhibited lower total PFAS after abrasion and weathering. Median total PFAS concentrations in glove layers increased from 180 μg/kg ± 17 μg/kg in new textiles to 1330 μg/kg ± 270 μg/kg following thermal stressing. In hood textiles, median total PFAS concentrations increased from 1.07 μg/kg ± 0.14 μg/kg to 4.00 μg/kg ± 0.79 μg/kg after abrasion and from 1.07 μg/kg ± 0.14 μg/kg to 86 μg/kg ± 15 μg/kg following thermal stressing. Median total PFAS concentrations in wildland textiles decreased from 5520 μg/kg ± 930 μg/kg to 942 μg/kg ± 125 μg/kg after abrasion and from 5520 μg/kg ± 930 μg/kg to 1450 μg/kg ± 90 μg/kg following weathering. These shifts largely reflected changes in the most abundant PFAS in unstressed textiles: methyl perfluorobutane sulfonamidoethanol (MeFBSE), 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH), and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS) in glove textile layers; perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and 6:2 FTS in hood textiles; and 6:2 FTOH and 6:2 fluorotelomer methacrylate (6:2 FTMAC) in wildland firefighter gear textiles. While stressing altered PFAS concentrations, the targeted methods employed here cannot distinguish whether changes in PFAS concentrations post stressing arose from chemical transformation of untargeted PFAS or from enhanced extractability due to textile degradation and fluoropolymer breakdown.

Citation

Technical Note (NIST TN) - 2375

Report Number

2375

NIST Pub Series

Technical Note (NIST TN)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

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DOI Link

Keywords

Abrasion, firefighter, gloves, hoods, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, stressing, turnout gear, weathering, wildland firefighter

Citation

Thompson, A. , Maizel, A. , Tombaugh, A. , Solomon, H. , Benner, B. , Rodowa, A. , Donnelly, M. and Davis, R. (2026), Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Stressed Structural Firefighter Gloves and Hoods, and Wildland Firefighter Coats, Shirts, and Pants, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2375 (Accessed May 14, 2026)

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