Veteran firefighters who responded to the 2023 blazes in Maui, Hawaii, had greater levels of "forever chemicals" in their blood in comparison to those of shorter-term recruits, new research has shown.

The more seasoned first responders presented with these higher concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) a month after fighting the fires, according to the research, published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

After a series of fatal fires struck the town of Lahaina on Maui's northwest coast in August 2023, Maui County requested technical assistance from the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to assess firefighter exposures to selected........

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