麻豆传媒

News — MIAMI, FLORIDA (Feb. 27, 2025) – Electric vehicles are becoming more popular and are a growing segment of the nation’s automobile fleet. But public health researchers with at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine are discovering elevated cancer risks for firefighters and community members alike from electric vehicle fires.

“While all fires pose exposure risks, EV fires elevate the risk to firefighters, owners and the nearby community because they are powered by massive batteries containing high concentrations of heavy metals,” explains ., who’s also deputy director of . “Many of these metals are associated with increased cancer risk due to their potential to cause DNA damage, oxidative stress and genetic alterations.”

He adds that these metals are often classified as carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic by the . Some of the metals found in EV batteries and their associated cancer risks include:

• Arsenic – lung, bladder, skin, liver and kidney cancer.
• Cadmium – lung, prostate, kidney, pancreatic and breast cancer.
• Chromium – lung, nasal and sinus cancer.
• Nickel – lung, nasal and laryngeal cancer.
• Lead – brain, kidney, stomach and lung cancer.

Researchers have known for many years that firefighters face a greater risk of developing – and dying from –cancer than from being killed in the line of duty. They also have a 9% higher cancer risk and a 14% higher risk of dying from it than those in the general population (source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).

That harsh reality led to the launch of Sylvester’s FCI back in 2015.

“There’s a recognition at Sylvester that we have the scientific and clinical expertise, and firefighters have the day-to-day occupational expertise. If we want to ask the right questions and get the best answers, we need to incorporate their perspectives and insights into what we do. That partnership is saving lives, and it will continue to save lives,” said , director and principal investigator of . 

During the past 10 years, the initiative has partnered with fire departments across Florida to protect firefighters from these occupational dangers by developing best practices to reduce their cancer risk and improve their overall health.

Now, the focus is expanding to address the additional dangers posed by EV battery fires in accordance with their increasing prevalence. Recently, Sylvester’s FCI conducted the first full-scale case study involving biomonitoring and environmental sampling from a staged EV fire. Some key findings so far include:

• Lithium-ion battery fires burn hotter and literally place firefighters in the line of fire from projectiles that can shoot 30 to 40 feet when the batteries expand and explode.
• Regular car fires typically require about 750 gallons of water to extinguish – about the amount held in one firetruck. In comparison, EV fires can require up to 30,000 gallons of water or the equivalent of more than 30 fire engines full of water.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are human carcinogens were found to increase in sediment around the EV vehicle immediately after EV burn.
• Decontamination efforts are crucial to avoid or at least minimize the harmful effects from these exposures.

Officials with Sylvester’s FCI and collaborating fire departments think the findings from this case study could have far-reaching implications for cancer control and prevention.

“If we do our research correctly in line with our mission,” says Caban-Martinez, “we can reduce the cancer burden for current and future firefighters and the communities they serve.”

Read more about Sylvester’s FCI research and its work to protect firefighters on the and follow  on X for the latest news on its research and care.

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