Evaluation of Passive Silicone Samplers Compared to Active Sampling Methods for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons During Fire Training

Details

• Personal Author:
  Calkins M ; Chen I-C ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Neumann DL ; Sen P ; Stakes K
• Description:
  Firefighters are occupationally exposed to many chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are formed by the incomplete combustion of organic matter during fire response and training activities. However, due to the harsh environments in which firefighters work, as well as consideration for time and physical safety while wearing bulky equipment, traditional active sampling methods may not be feasible to measure PAH exposures. Silicone passive samplers offer an alternative approach to assess exposure during fire responses and live fire training due to their heat resistance and ease of deployment in remote or time-limited environments. In this study, the primary objective was to investigate and determine the statistical strength of the relationship between active air sampling methods and passive silicone samplers for PAHs. In this study, silicone wristbands were paired with active sampling devices in a series of burn experiments to compare PAH measurements. Silicone-based measurements correlated strongly with active air samples for the dominant PAHs found, naphthalene and phenanthrene; however, detection was limited in the wristbands when air concentrations were low in active samples. In situations where PAH levels are expected to be high and the potential for contaminant loss via off-gassing is low, silicone samplers may be a useful tool for industrial hygienists to measure PAHs in fire and other emergency responses in extreme environments. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Monitoring Firefighters Hydrocarbons Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Safety
• Keywords:
  Air Sampling Techniques Author Keywords: Firefighter Combustion Products Fire Fighters Occupational Exposure PAH Passive Sampling Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Sampling Methods Silicone Wearable Technologies Wristband

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• ISSN:
  2305-6304
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Maryland ; Ohio ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; San Francisco 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
• Volume:
  13
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070573
• Citation:
  Toxics 2025 Feb; 13(2):132
• Contact Point Address:
  Paro Sen, National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, Cincinnati, OH 45213, USA
• Email:
  psen@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Toxics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1fc681c6ba79053cf5fa4e96e75905af22bc857654b8ca1d10f2c28d0962b785580afb0031224048fe41fdfa3e06db3f2f2a214195424a722ffc05c37adf9413
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208754/cdc_208754_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 488.60 KB ]