Use of Preliminary Exposure Reduction Practices or Laundering to Mitigate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contamination on Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment Ensembles

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chen I-C ; Fent, Kenneth W. ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Kerber, Stephen ; Kesler RM ; Mayer, Alexander C. ; Smith, Denise L. ; Wilkinson AF
• Description:
  Chronic health risks associated with firefighting continue to be documented and studied, however, the complexity of occupational exposures and the relationship between occupational exposure and contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE) remains unknown. Recent work has revealed that common PPE cleaning practices, which are becoming increasingly more common in the fire service, are not effective in removing certain contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from PPE. To better understand the relationship between contaminated firefighter PPE and potential exposure to PAHs, and to gain further understanding of the efficacy of cleaning practices, we used a standardized fire exposure simulator that created repeatable conditions and measured PPE surface contamination levels via wipe sampling and filters attached to firefighter gear worn by standing mannequins. This study examined the effects of repeated (40 cycles) PPE cleaning (laundering and on-scene preliminary exposure reduction (PER) techniques) and repeated exposures on PAH concentration on different surfaces. Further exploration included examination of contamination breakthrough of turnout jackets (comparing outer shell and interior liner) and evaluation of off-gassing PAHs from used gear after different cleaning treatments. When compared by jacket closure type (zipper and hook and dee), total PAH concentration wiped from gear after exposure and cleanings showed no significant differences. Regression analysis indicated that there was no effect of repeated exposures on PAH contamination levels (all sampling sites combined; before fire 10, 20, and 40; after fire 1, 10, 20, and 40; p-value > 0.05). Both laundering and on-scene PER significantly reduced contamination levels on the exterior pants and helmets and were effective at reducing PAH contamination. The jacket outer shell had significantly higher PAH contamination than the jacket liner. Both laundering and wet soap PER methods (post-fire) are effective in reducing surface contamination and appear to prevent accumulation of contamination after repeated exposures. Semi-volatile PAHs deep within the fibers of bulky PPE are not effectively reduced via PER or machine laundering, therefore, permitting continued off-gassing of these compounds. Further research is needed to identify the most effective laundering methods for firefighter turnout gear that considers the broad spectrum of common contaminants. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Firefighters Hydrocarbons Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Protective Clothing Safety Volatile Organic Compounds
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Decontamination Decontamination Fire Fighters Laundering PAHs Personal Protective Equipment Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PPE Protective Clothing VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

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• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; Maryland ; New York ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• 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:
  20
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066936
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Feb; 20(3):2108
• Contact Point Address:
  Andrea F. Wilkinson, 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:
  awilkinson2@cdc.gov
• 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-512:80db603592987cf73cf7bb2b7b7a3dc6d85582aa33cc7ed5132cca1cdc627510c4ff17d9199086a28efbb8b431eaa5bdf4ac4a1c96b823eb07446d1ef8b31d49
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/231217/cdc_231217_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.13 MB ]