Younger Veterans Have Higher Levels of PFAS in Their Bloodstream
In September of 2026, Military Times exposed a new study with worrying implications: Veterans between the ages of 20 and 39 have up to 24 percent higher polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations than their older counterparts. Also known as “forever chemicals, PFAS can remain in your body for decades and may trigger all kinds of health problems. A VA disability benefits lawyer in Washington may be able to help veterans with PFAS-related health issues access the treatment they need.
Millions of Veterans Have PFAS Blood Concentrations Higher Than Safe Thresholds
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine has set a “safe” PFAS blood concentration of 20 micrograms per liter. Almost 60 percent of the 22.8 million veterans who participated in the aforementioned study had blood concentrations above that level. In other words, millions of veterans today are likely to experience various health issues as a result of their service-related PFAS exposure.
Why Are Young Veterans More Likely to Have Serious PFAS Exposure?
Researchers at Brown and Harvard say that younger veterans are more likely to have higher levels of PFAS in their bodies because they simply haven’t had time to “excrete” the toxins yet. In contrast, many older veterans have slowly expelled PFAS from their bodies over time, to the point where their blood concentrations are similar to the general population. This extremely slow “detox” process is thanks to the half-life of most PFAS. Researchers told the Military Times that it could take 10 years for a veteran to completely expel a significant amount of PFAS.
Why Focusing on the Half-Life Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Critics have pointed out that focusing entirely on the half-life of PFAS conveniently skips over some of the more obvious causes of toxic exposure for young veterans. By keeping the focus on the half-life of PFAS, the military can frame the problem as something that “fades away with time.” In reality, soldiers today experience much more PFAS exposure than older veterans ever had to deal with thanks to modern equipment, fuel, and ammunition.
The truth is that we don’t actually know that younger veterans will eventually expel their PFAS and reach the same “baseline” toxicity levels seen in older veterans. The study simply examines the blood concentrations of older veterans and assumes that younger veterans will eventually reach the same levels, citing the metric of half-life to back up their claims.
What Can You Do if You Think You Might Have Been Exposed to PFAS?
If you believe that you were exposed to PFAS, you should immediately undergo testing. Speak with your doctors about your concerns and explain that you want the full range of tests to determine how serious your PFAS exposure is. According to the recent study, you are extremely likely to have elevated levels of PFAS in your bloodstream as a young veteran. Unfortunately, current restrictions make it difficult to have the cost of these tests covered by your VA healthcare benefits.
Can a Washington VA Disability Benefits Lawyer Help Me?
Forever chemicals are associated with cancers, reproductive problems, cardiovascular disease, birth defects, and many other issues. Younger veterans are quickly learning that modern military service is one of the easiest ways to get serious exposure to PFAS. If you believe that you have developed a PFAS-related health issue, a VA disability lawyer in Washington may be able to help you access the treatment you deserve. Gustad Law Group, PLLC serves veterans in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma.
Source:
militarytimes.com/veterans/2026/09/15/study-finds-forever-chemicals-levels-higher-in-younger-vets-than-general-population/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mil-ebb