Who is At Risk of PFOA Exposure? 

Most people in the United States have had some level of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS or PFOAS). For most people, the risk of adverse effects begins when PFOA levels in their blood are in the range of 2 to 20 nanograms per milliliter. Individuals whose health has been compromised by other stresses or disease pathologies may be more likely to experience problems at the lower end of this range. 

The Environmental Protection Agency has already made an aggressive recommendation to eliminate all PFOA contamination from drinking water, but for many people, that recommendation comes too late. If you have suffered adverse health consequences from PFOA exposure, call the law firm of Douglas & London to speak with a toxic exposure attorney about your right and opportunity to file a PFAS lawsuit and to recover damages to compensate for your illness. 

What Persons Are at an Elevated Risk of PFOA-Linked Illness? 

Individuals who are at a higher risk of health problems from PFAS exposure include: 

  • Firefighters, employees at chemical processing companies and oil refineries, airport workers, military personnel, and other individuals whose workplaces them in close contact with aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) that have a known high concentration of PFAS and PFOAS. 
  • Pregnant women who can pass higher concentrations of ingested PFOAS to babies during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. 
  • Children, who are predisposed to greater PFOA exposure risks because of their developing bodies and ingestion of greater quantities of food and liquids relative to their body weight. 
  • People in communities that have higher concentrations of low-income earners. 
  • Residents of communities near landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, military installations, airports, and chemical plants. 

Of these groups, firefighters are particularly a high-risk group, with some estimates showing that up to 20% of all firefighters have suffered adverse effects from AFFF exposure. As of the end of 2024, AFFF lawyers across the United States have filed more than 8.400 toxic exposure lawsuits on behalf of sickened firefighters. You should not hesitate to contact an AFFF attorney if you are in this group and are experiencing any unusual health problems. 

What PFOA-Linked Health Problems are At-Risk Persons likely to Experience? 

Exposure to excess amounts of PFOAS, PFAS, and AFFFs has been connected to: 

  • High levels of cholesterol, which can impair blood flow to the heart, brain, and other vital organs 
  • Immune system deficiencies 
  • Higher risks of various forms of cancer 
  • Adverse changes in fetal and child development, including cognitive and motor skill issues 
  • Liver damage 
  • Malfunctioning thyroids and other glandular problems 
  • Reproductive and fertility issues. 

Persons who are diagnosed with one or more of these health problems might not realize that environmental exposure to PFOAS is a potential cause of those problems. Data gathered by PFOA lawyers is clarifying the picture and pointing to a more conclusive link between exposure to these forever chemicals and serious illnesses. When you report your symptoms and illnesses to a PFOA attorney, you will help yourself and everyone else who has suffered from PFOA exposure by increasing the pool of knowledge about the problems these chemicals have caused.  

What Compensation Can an At-Risk PFOA Victim Recover?  

When you hire an experienced PFOA lawyer to represent you in a toxic exposure lawsuit, that lawyer will review all potential sources of toxic chemical exposure that you have experienced and will determine if there is a viable connection between chemicals from a specific manufacturer or distributor and your illness. If the connection is verifiable, that lawyer will file claims on your behalf to recover compensation for your medical bills, wages you did not earn due to illnesses that kept you away from work, and other damages, such as remuneration for your pain & suffering. 

The specific compensation that you might recover will depend on the seriousness of your illness and the losses that are unique to your situation. A knowledgeable toxic chemical attorney will be able to give you a more targeted estimate of the compensation that you might claim.  

Call the Toxic Exposure Attorneys at Douglas & London to Determine if You are at an Elevated Risk of Harm from PFOA Exposure 

The PFAS contamination and toxic exposure attorneys at Douglas & London provide complimentary assessments of PFOA exposure risk. We have represented many chemical exposure victims whose illnesses were precipitated by PFOAS and other forever chemicals, and we have a strong knowledge base of how PFOA exposure lawsuits have been moving through the court system and the levels of compensation that individuals have been seeking. 

Please call our offices at any time if you are concerned over whether you are at risk of adverse consequences of PFOA exposure or if you have any questions about your ability to recover damages from the companies that polluted our environment with dangerous forever chemicals. 

Other Resources: 

  1. www.nih.gov: Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK584702/#:~:text=Adverse%20health%20effects%20related%20to,effects%20above%2020%20ng/mL.  
  1. www.nrdc.org: EPA Restricts Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Drinking Water. https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/epa-restricts-toxic-pfas-forever-chemicals-found-drinking-water-0#:~:text=In%202009%2C%20EPA%20established%20provisional,and%20PFOS%20of%200%20ppt. 
  1. www.nih.gov: Firefighters Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) as an Occupational Hazard; A Review. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1069