Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons assessed by biomonitoring of firefighters during fire operations in Germany

Taeger, Dirk; Koslitz, Stephan; Käfferlein, Heiko U.; Pelzl, Tim; Heinrich, B.; Breuer, D.; Weiß, Tobias; Harth, Volker; Behrens, Thomas; Brüning, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114110

Cited by 12 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Nevertheless, ongoing research has conflicting results concerning the influence on estimated glomerular filtration rate in smokers ( 86 ), thus further studies should aim to understand the impact of PAHs exposure in glomerular filtration rate and if impacts urinary creatinine clearance. In comparison to the general population, individual 2-OHFlu, 1-OHPhe, and 1-OHPyr (μmol/mol creatinine) in the Portuguese population [2-OHFlu: 0.13–0.16; 1-OHPhe: 0.06–0.08; 1-OHPyr: 0.04–0.06; ( 87 )], the USA NHANES [2-OHFlu: 0.16; 1-OHPhe: 0.07; 1-OHPyr: 0.07; ( 79 )], Italy [2-OHFlu: 0.07–0.11; 1-OHPhe: 0.05–0.10; 1-OHPyr: 0.02–0.04; ( 74–77 )], and Germany [1-OHPyr: median range 0.16–0.38; ( 88 )] were higher than those determined in the characterized Portuguese firefighters (median for all firefighters: 2-OHFlu: 0.05; 1-OHPhe: 0.06; 1-OHPyr: 0.02; Figure 2A ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baseline data and associations between urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, blood pressure, hemogram, and lifestyle among wildland firefighters

Barros,

Paiva,

Oliveira

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionAvailable literature has found an association between firefighting and pathologic pathways leading to cardiorespiratory diseases, which have been linked with exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are highlighted as priority pollutants by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative in occupational and non-occupational contexts.MethodsThis cross-sectional study is the first to simultaneously characterize six creatinine-adjusted PAHs metabolites (OHPAHs) in urine, blood pressure, cardiac frequency, and hemogram parameters among wildland firefighters without occupational exposure to fire emissions (> 7 days), while exploring several variables retrieved via questionnaires.ResultsOverall, baseline levels for total OHPAHs levels were 2 to 23-times superior to the general population, whereas individual metabolites remained below the general population median range (except for 1-hydroxynaphthalene+1-hydroxyacenaphtene). Exposure to gaseous pollutants and/or particulate matter during work-shift was associated with a 3.5-fold increase in total OHPAHs levels. Firefighters who smoke presented 3-times higher total concentration of OHPAHs than non-smokers (p < 0.001); non-smoker females presented 2-fold lower total OHPAHs (p = 0.049) than males. 1-hydroxypyrene was below the recommended occupational biological exposure value (2.5 μg/L), and the metabolite of carcinogenic PAH (benzo(a)pyrene) was not detected. Blood pressure was above 120/80 mmHg in 71% of subjects. Firefighters from the permanent intervention team presented significantly increased systolic pressure than those who performed other functions (p = 0.034). Tobacco consumption was significantly associated with higher basophils (p = 0.01–0.02) and hematocrit (p = 0.03). No association between OHPAHs and blood pressure was found. OHPAHs concentrations were positively correlated with monocyte, basophils, large immune cells, atypical lymphocytes, and mean corpuscular volume, which were stronger among smokers. Nevertheless, inverse associations were observed between fluorene and pyrene metabolites with neutrophils and eosinophils, respectively, in non-smokers. Hemogram was negatively affected by overworking and lower physical activity.ConclusionThis study suggests possible associations between urinary PAHs metabolites and health parameters in firefighters, that should be further assessed in larger groups.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baseline data and associations between urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, blood pressure, hemogram, and lifestyle among wildland firefighters

Barros,

Paiva,

Oliveira

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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“…Through the openings, fire smoke can penetrate the firefighters' protective clothing and contaminate the wearers' skin. Such contamination is dangerous as it increases the risk of cancer; accordingly, contamination with fire smoke must be prevented [43][44][45][46].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The previous considerations in the area of firefighter cancer [48][49][50][51][52] should be expanded to include the two aspects of gender equity and the influence of wear and tear.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Girl on Fire – Links between sex, firefighters’ clothing, safety, confidence and wear and tear

Krause,

Kühn,

Schiffer

et al. 2023

cdatp

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Firefighters are exposed to high risks and hazards, such as flames and smoke, in their daily lives. To be protected against these risks, firefighters wear protective clothing. As an employer, it is the duty to provide firefighters with good protection according to DIN EN 469. To do so, it is necessary to select, procure and maintain suitable firefighters' protective clothing. In order to identify weaknesses in the above steps and to develop and present proposals for remedying the identified weak points, an empirical study was conducted. In preparation for this study, interviews were first conducted with members of fire brigades. Based on the interviews, the relevant standards and regulations for fire fighters´ clothing were classified and areas of tension between the standards and regulations as well as their design in everyday fire brigade life were identified. Based on this, a standardized quantitative survey was conducted and the answers of the respondents were empirically evaluated. The evaluation examined both the respondents' answering behavior and the dependency between the answering behavior for different questions due to demographic differences. A key finding is that women firefighters are less satisfied with their firefighting clothing compared to men firefighters. The firefighters' clothing fits them worse. They do not feel as safe and comfortable. Moreover, woman have less confidence in the protective clothing. There is a correlation between the fit of the clothing and the satisfaction, confidence and feeling of protection

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“…This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2018 and 2020. In a previous publication, we reported results on firefighters who participated in real-life firefighting scenarios, such as building and car fires ( 15 ). In this study, we present data on firefighters who participated in firefighting exercises ( N = 9) and who were employed in the respiratory protection and hose workshops ( N = 8); these data were not part of the previous publication ( Table 1 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in firefighters at fire training facilities and in employees at respiratory protection and hose workshops

Koslitz,

Heinrich,

Käfferlein

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic to humans and are formed by incomplete combustion. PAHs are always present during firefighting operations, and fire department members can be exposed to them in the workplace.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in 36 urine samples from nine firefighters, collected before and after fire training sessions, and 32 urine samples from eight employees at respiratory protection and hose workshops. To assess breakthrough PAH exposure through personal protective equipment and potential dermal uptake, some of the workshop employees wore cotton garments under their regular workwear. Cotton samples were then examined for the presence of 17 semi-volatile and low-volatility PAHs.ResultsAfter firefighting exercises, we observed approximately a fivefold increase in mean 1-OHP concentrations in samples from firefighters, from 0.24 μg/L to 1.17 μg/L (maximum: 5.31 μg/L). In contrast, 1-OHP levels in workshop employees were found to be low, with the majority of urine samples yielding concentrations below the limit of quantification (LOQ: 0.05 μg/L, maximum: 0.11 μg/L). Similarly, low PAH levels were found on the workshop employees' cotton undergarments, with maximum concentrations of 250 and 205 ng/g for pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene, respectively.DiscussionIn conclusion, significant increases in 1-OHP in urine were observed in firefighters after training sessions, whereas work-related exposure remained low among workshop employees.

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Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons assessed by biomonitoring of firefighters during fire operations in Germany

Cited by 12 publications

References 24 publications

Baseline data and associations between urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, blood pressure, hemogram, and lifestyle among wildland firefighters

Baseline data and associations between urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, blood pressure, hemogram, and lifestyle among wildland firefighters

Girl on Fire – Links between sex, firefighters’ clothing, safety, confidence and wear and tear

Biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in firefighters at fire training facilities and in employees at respiratory protection and hose workshops

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