Preliminary Analyses of Accumulation of Carcinogenic Contaminants on Retired Firefighter Ensembles

Details

• Personal Author:
  Agnew RJ ; Hwang J ; Larson P ; Mandal S ; Mitchell J
• Description:
  Personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed to protect firefighters from hazards encountered on the fire scene, including heat and products of combustion. Decontamination practices for firefighter turnout gear have been developed to remove combustion products and other contaminants from the fabric of structural firefighting ensembles (i.e., turnout or bunker gear). Chronic exposures to residual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a contributing cause of firefighter cancers. To identify and quantify residual contamination of PAH, samples were taken from two individual decommissioned structural firefighting ensembles and analyzed by layer (outer canvas shell, moisture barrier, and the thermal protective liner) for (1) textile integrity via field emission scanning electron microscopy and (2) quantity of PAH contamination by high-pressure liquid chromatography with ultraviolet/fluorescence detection. The results of these analyses show the presence of the PAH compounds pyrene (35% of the total mass of PAH), phenanthrene (21%), benzo(a)pyrene (14%), and benzo(a)anthracene (14%) which present a risk for dermal absorption. The data also revealed that PAH penetration through the layers of the firefighting ensemble was strongly inhibited by the moisture barrier layer. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Carcinogens Firefighters Hydrocarbons Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Safety Textile Industry
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Dermal Decontamination Fabric Fabrics Fire Fighters Laundering PAH Personal Protective Equipment Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PPE Textile Textiles Turnout Gear

  More +
• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Oklahoma ; OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  213-219
• Volume:
  21
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069307
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2024 Apr; 21(4):213-219
• Contact Point Address:
  Robert J. Agnew, Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology Program, 545 Engineering North, Stillwater, OK 74078
• Email:
  rob.agnew@okstate.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20200901
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  20210831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9e18814a89340d1802e74631168b40c600cff397ce39e46e6663acd77fcf84a8a30aaf0b2db3556494f5ef5a06f4f8a896ea5b9bf019a4e28c67f2a41bd99a79
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207807/cdc_207807_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.34 MB ]