Evaluating the Ingress of Total Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Specifically Naphthalene Through Firefighter Hoods and Base Layers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bertke S ; Chen I-C ; Fent, Kenneth W. ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Kander MC ; Kesler RM ; Smith, Denise L. ; Wilkinson AF
• Description:
  Structural firefighters are exposed to an array of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a result of incomplete combustion of both synthetic and natural materials. PAHs are found in both the particulate and vapor phases in the firefighting environment and are significantly associated with acute and chronic diseases, including cancer. Using a fireground exposure simulator (FES) and standing mannequins dressed in four different firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) conditions, each with varying levels of protective hood interface and particulate-blocking features, the efficacy of the hoods was assessed against the ingress of PAHs (specifically, naphthalene). The authors also explored the effectiveness of a 100% cotton turtleneck at further attenuating the amount of naphthalene reaching the surface of the mannequin's neck. Air samples were collected at the breathing zone, abdomen, and thigh heights from the 6 ft-2 in mannequins used in this study. Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH (55% of the total PAH concentrations) in the FES and existed primarily in the vapor phase (92% vapor in the breathing zone). Additionally, bulk base layer and under the base layer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filter samples (used as skin surrogates) were collected from the neck region of the mannequins and analyzed for PAHs. A larger percentage of naphthalene was collected on the filter under the traditional knit hoods than on the cotton base layer, suggesting a small protective effect of the base layer against solid-phase naphthalene. Previous studies investigating naphthalene by employing air sampling under PPE have found a larger protective effect of base layers against the ingress of naphthalene vapor. PAHs that exist primarily as particulate in the fire environment were largely not detected on the base layers or PTFE filters under the gear. Further research is needed that involves more sensitive methods and non-static human subjects. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Exposure Firefighters Hydrocarbons Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: PAH Environmental Exposure Fire Fighters Naphthalene Particulate Phase Particulates Personal Protective Equipment Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PPE Protective Hood
• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Illinois ; Maryland ; New York ; New York City Region [OSHA] ; Ohio ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  169-177
• Volume:
  22
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070441
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2025 Mar; 22(3):169-177
• Contact Point Address:
  Kenneth Fent, Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cincinnati, OH
• Email:
  kif5@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Naphthalene (CAS RN 91-20-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8a13c7078389b9f65caa58a0fa8ab54fae7db0d809e3b84960833e97087eb9aea0195aae633b29ac1a784acf073c1ef89df77f0c6e4d1e709441065b6ef97e82
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208649/cdc_208649_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.74 MB ]