Firefighter Paul Cotter faced all manner of risks in his 28 years on the job—collapsing buildings, smoke inhalation, heat exhaustion, mental stress. But there was one threat he never considered: the protective garments he wore when responding to calls.
Firefighters’ “bunker gear” contains significant amounts of chemicals known as PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals” that are linked a host of health problems, including prostate cancer—which Cotter battled.
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