Search Results (4)

Firefighter occupational exposures were categorized as a class 1 (known) carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2022. As a result, firefighters have become heavily focused on identifying effective and easy to implement decontamination strategies to reduce their chemical exposures. Skin decontamination using wipes post-exposure is one decontamination strategy that every firefighter has available to them. However, firefighters have expressed concerns over the ingredients in the wipe solution increasing dermal absorption. The goal of this study was to determine if the ingredients in skin decontamination wipe solution had any enhancement effect on the dermal absorption of phenanthrene. To determine any enhancement effects, the additive solution of four skin decontamination wipe products was applied to porcine skin 15 min after chemical dosing. The absorption of phenanthrene was tested in vitro using a flow-through diffusion cell system over eight hours. The wipe solution effects on dermal absorption were determined by measuring multiple absorption characteristics including cumulative absorption (µg/cm²), absorption efficiency (% dose absorbed), lag time (minutes), flux (µg/cm²/h), diffusivity (cm²/h), and permeability (cm/h). No penetration enhancement effects were observed in any of the skin decontamination wipe solutions tested; rather, all wipe solutions decreased the absorption of phenanthrene. Slight differences in cumulative absorption among two pairings of skin decontamination wipe solutions, wipes 1 and 3 vs. wipes 2 and 4, were observed, indicating that some ingredients may impact dermal absorption. These findings show that firefighters should continue using skin decontamination wipes to reduce their dermal exposures to fireground contaminants with little concern of increasing the absorption of phenanthrene. Full article

Firefighters face significant risks of exposure to toxic chemicals, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), during fire suppression activities. PAHs have been found in the air, on the gear and equipment, and in biological samples such as the skin, breath, urine, and blood of firefighters after fire response. However, the extent to which exposure occurs via inhalation, dermal absorption, or ingestion is unclear. In this study, three PAHs, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and benzo[a]pyrene, were applied to porcine skin in vitro in an artificial sweat solution to better gauge firefighters’ dermal exposures while mimicking their sweaty skin conditions using an artificial sweat dosing vehicle. Multiple absorption characteristics were calculated, including cumulative absorption, percent dose absorbed, diffusivity, flux, lag time, and permeability. The absorption of the PAHs was greatly influenced by their molecular weight and solubility in the artificial sweat solution. Naphthalene had the greatest dose absorption efficiency (35.0 ± 4.6% dose), followed by phenanthrene (6.8 ± 3.2% dose), and lastly, benzo[a]pyrene, which had the lowest absorption (0.03 ± 0.04% dose). The lag times followed a similar trend. All chemicals had a lag time of approximately 60 min or longer, suggesting that chemical concentrations on the skin may be reduced by immediate skin cleansing practices after fire exposure. Full article

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851 document provides guidelines for firefighters on the care and maintenance of their PPE, including decontamination practices. Firefighters are exposed to various toxic chemicals during fire suppression activities, making effective decontamination crucial for their safety. This study evaluated the efficacy of different washing parameters, including temperature, time, and surfactants, on cleaning outer-shell material contaminated with nine targeted compounds from three different functional groups: phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and phthalates. The study was conducted on both bench-scale and full-scale levels, with contaminated swatches washed in a water shaker bath in the bench-scale evaluation and full-sized washer extractors used in the full-scale evaluation. The results showed that bench-scale washing demonstrated similar trends in contaminant removal to full-scale washing. Importantly, the study highlighted the complexity of removing fireground contaminants from the personal protective ensemble (PPE). The findings of this study have practical implications for the firefighting industry as they provide insight into the effectiveness of different washing parameters for PPE decontamination. Future studies could explore the impact of repeated washing on PPE and investigate the potential for developing more efficient decontamination strategies. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of firefighters, who face significant occupational hazards. Full article

Firefighters are exposed to several potentially carcinogenic fireground contaminants. The current NFPA 1851 washing procedures are less effective in cleaning due to the limited intensity of the washing conditions that are used. The 2020 edition of NFPA 1851 has added limited specialized cleaning for higher efficacy. The liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂) laundering technique has gained popularity in recent years due to its availability to remove contaminants and its eco-friendliness. The primary aim of this study is to address the firefighter questions regarding the efficacy of cleaning with liquid CO₂ and to compare it with the conventional washing technique. The unused turnout jackets were contaminated with a mixture of fireground contaminants. These turnout jackets were cleaned with conventional NFPA 1851-appoved aqueous washing and a commercially available liquid CO₂ method. Post-cleaning samples were analyzed for contamination using pressurized solvent extraction and GC-MS. The liquid CO₂ technique demonstrated considerable improvement in washing efficiency compared to the conventional washing. Full article