North Carolina AFFF Exposure Attorneys

Before hopping into understanding the AFFF lawsuit, there are two important issues to address. We need to understand what AFFF is used for and what makes it so dangerous to the public.

What is AFFF?

AFFF is a type of firefighting foam used to fight oil and gas fires. Because water extinguish petroleum-based fires, we needed another way of fighting those large fires. 50 years ago, AFFF became the industry favorite to combat fires which store large amounts of oils and gas like airports, military bases, oil rigs, etc.

What Makes AFFF Harmful?

The main, active ingredients in AFFF are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). PFOA and PFOS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they are non-biodegradable which means that they cannot be naturally broken down in the environment or the human body. PFOA and PFOS are also carcinogenic when consumed.

Cancers Linked to AFFF

This means that anyone who handles, uses, stores, or manages AFFF are exposed directly and are at greater risk. However, this doesn’t mean that people who have never even seen AFFF foam can’t be exposed. When AFFF is discharged and eventually cleaned up, it is hosed into the surrounding environment and into drains which both ultimately end up leading into our drinking water.

When water contaminated by PFOA and PFOS are consumed and enter the human body, it can lead to one of the following cancers:

  • Kidney cancer
  • Testicular cancer
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Thyroid disease
  • Liver cancer
  • Ulcerative colitis

AFFF Exposure in North Carolina

In North Carolina, two locations have been found to have dangerous amounts of PFOA and/or PFOS:  

  • Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, NC
  • Stanly County Airport in Stanly County, NC

People who live or work in these locations or their surrounding areas are at risk.

 Filing an AFFF Lawsuit in North Carolina

If you or someone you know lived or worked in or around the locations listed above and are now diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, liver cancer, thyroid cancer, or ulcerative colitis, please feel free to contact our experts at Douglas & London. You may be entitled to compensation and you don’t pay unless we win. To apply for a free consultation, fill out the form on the side of the screen, chat with us or give us a call at (212) 566-7500.