Evaluating Exposure to VOCs and Naphthalene for Firefighters Wearing Different PPE Configurations Through Measures in Air, Exhaled Breath, and Urine

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bhandari D ; Blount BC ; Calafat, Antonia M. ; Chen I-C ; Fent, Kenneth W. ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Kerber, Stephen ; Kesler RM ; Masoud F ; Mayer, Alexander C. ; Meadows J ; Sammons D ; Siegel MR ; Smith, Denise L. ; Toennis C ; Wang Y ; Wilkinson AF
• Description:
  Firefighters are at an increased risk of cancer due to their occupational exposure to combustion byproducts, especially when those compounds penetrate the firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) ensemble. This has led to questions about the impact of base layers (i.e., shorts vs. pants) under PPE ensembles. This study asked 23 firefighters to perform firefighting activities while wearing one of three different PPE ensembles with varying degrees of protection. Additionally, half of the firefighters unzipped their jackets after the scenario while the other half kept their jackets zipped for five additional minutes. Several volatile organic compound (VOC) and naphthalene air concentrations outside and inside of hoods, turnout jackets, and turnout pants were evaluated; biological (urinary and exhaled breath) samples were also collected. VOCs and naphthalene penetrated the three sampling areas (hoods, jackets, pants). Significant (p-value < 0.05) increases from pre- to post-fire for some metabolites of VOCs (e.g., benzene, toluene) and naphthalene were found. Firefighters wearing shorts and short sleeves absorbed higher amounts of certain compounds (p-value < 0.05), and the PPE designed with enhanced interface control features appeared to provide more protection from some compounds. These results suggest that firefighters can dermally absorb VOCs and naphthalene that penetrate the PPE ensemble. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Benzene Firefighters Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Urine Volatile Organic Compounds
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Personal Protective Equipment Biological Monitoring Breath Breath Analysis Fire Fighters Firefighters Naphthalene Personal Protective Equipment PPE VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

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• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Illinois ; Maryland ; New York ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division ; DSI - Division of Science Integration
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  20
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067912
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Jun; 20(12):6057
• Contact Point Address:
  Alexander C. Mayer, Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
• Email:
  nru1@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2) ; Naphthalene (CAS RN 91-20-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fb46212105687a35c47dd17427870f2d2db2f84999f594cd42d96ecb910527a5295c4572a9cdeebcf8914699f5545415b84421c9def6b9e1c7896b7789bab479
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230146/cdc_230146_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.01 MB ]