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# Study finds younger military veterans have higher PFAS levels than non-vets
- URL: https://www.consumernews.ai/study-finds-younger-military-veterans-have-higher-pfas-levels-than-non-vets/
- Published: 2026-09-14T15:31:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T15:31:58.000Z
- Description: The findings suggest younger veterans should consider being screened for elevated PFAS levels.
- Author: James R. Hood
- Tags: Health

Military service can be hazardous in ways you might not anticipate, like higher levels of PFAS in the bloodstream.

A new Brown University study found just that – higher levels of the so-called [forever chemicals](https://www.consumernews.ai/pfas-research-roundup-what-studies/) commonly used in consumer and industrial products. They're called forever chemicals because they tend to remain in he bloodstream indefinitely and have been implicated in a number of health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and fertility issues, as well as kidney and testicular cancer.

The Brown researchers said the study's findings should be helpful in guiding healthcare decisions for veterans.

“From a public health perspective, the critical thing about this work is that it comes with a recommendation,” said lead study author Christian Hoover, a pre-doctoral fellow in epidemiology at [Brown’s School of Public Health](https://sph.brown.edu/?ref=consumernews.ai). 

“If you’re a male veteran between the ages of 20 and 39, it would be advisable to speak to a physician about getting tested for PFAS levels. It’s also a good idea for people in this category to have a conversation about the health conditions associated with elevated PFAS levels, to see if screening for those conditions makes sense,” Hoover said.

The [findings](https://pubs.acs.org/evhpaz/article/doi/10.1021/EHP.6c00631/5429563/Serum-PFAS-Concentrations-Among-US-Veterans-NHANES?ref=consumernews.ai) were published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

[PFAS research roundup: What studies say about health risks, exposure, and uncertaintyHundreds of peer-reviewed studies link PFAS exposure to immune, metabolic, and developmental effects![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2a/11/2a11693a-adfd-404e-b346-dc871787142e/content/images/icon/cnai-logo-icon-600-sq-9bb623c3-7c87-4bcc-8a71-33a57db895c1.png)ConsumerNews.aiJames R. Hood![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2a/11/2a11693a-adfd-404e-b346-dc871787142e/content/images/thumbnail/e25bcb9a-b57f-4f4b-8630-79b35ab8d550_1456x816-jpeg-e46851cf-0ae8-4b84-8600-055f96eaa151.jpg)](https://www.consumernews.ai/pfas-research-roundup-what-studies/)

### The cause remains unclear

The researchers don’t know for sure what caused the elevated levels, but they said PFAS sources could include past exposure to firefighting foams, munitions and groundwater contamination.

The potential for elevated exposure in veterans was one of the reasons the researchers decided to investigate whether there was an association, said study author Joseph Braun, a professor of epidemiology at Brown. This is not something that had previously been explored, despite the fact that the [National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.html?ref=consumernews.ai) includes questions about military service.

The researchers analyzed eight survey cycles from 2003 to 2018, representing an estimated 22.8 million U.S. adults over age 20 with prior military service, after applying national survey weights. They found that younger veterans, aged 20 to 39, had greater PFAS concentrations (13% to 24% higher, depending on the specific chemical) than non-veterans of the same age.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommend monitoring by a health care professional for individuals with PFAS levels above 20 ng/mL, given the potential for adverse health risks. The study found that young veterans were 18% more likely to exceed that threshold than young non-veterans.

### Age matters

The age of the veterans matters because younger veterans are more likely to have recent acute exposure to PFAS in the course of their work and training, Braun said.

“The common PFAS chemical PFOA, for example, has a half-life of about one and a half to two years, which means that if someone drank a jar of PFOA today, it would take 10 years for their body to get rid of it,” Braun said. “So as veterans get older and less actively involved with the military, they not only have less exposure, but the PFAS have time to be excreted out of the body.”

While younger veterans can be tested early and identify health risks before they become a health issue, Hoover noted that older veterans may still want to talk to their doctors.

“Even though our study wasn’t able to pick this up, it doesn’t mean that older veterans weren’t at the same risk when they were younger,” Hoover said.

Hoover added that the findings may inform Veterans Health Administration policies regarding coverage for PFAS testing.