When we think of the hazards that firefighters face on the job we might think of smoke inhalation, burns or falls. Rarely would we think that they face hazards from the water they use in the firehouse or they use to douse flames. In one New Hampshire location, firefighters and other workers are facing the possibility of exposure to contaminated well water.

The Pease International Tradeport employs around 10,000 people and is used as a business park and aviation industrial park. It was once used as an Air Force base, and last year at the Environmental Protection Agency’s request Air Force officials tested one of the wells only to find that levels of PFOs (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) in the well were 10 times higher than the EPA limits. Two other wells at the site contain the chemical but remain under the threshold set by the EPA. Officials think the contaminants got into the wells from flame retardant chemicals in firefighting foam that was used on the air strips. That well has been closed but not without lingering issues.

There is a fire station at the tradeport, and city firefighters who worked closely with that contaminated water were obviously concerned. The department said that they had a high amount of workers with cancer over the years and hoped that the cancer was not related to these chemicals.

Officials offered blood tests to firefighters and others who worked at the site and were interested in a blood test. The firemen at the station are there long enough that many shower at the fire station, use water to drink and cook with.

Some of them are now filing workers’ compensation claims after their blood tests came back to show elevated levels of the toxin. The Fire Chief Steve Achilles said the department supports their actions, in case they suffer any illnesses later on in life that can then be linked back to the contaminant exposure. PFO exposure may be linked to immune system issues, hormonal dysfunctions and certain cancers. The firefighting union president, Russ Osgood, asked that the Fire Commission continue to monitor exposure levels and possible health effects of this contamination for future workers.