Contamination of firefighter personal protective equipment and skin and the effectiveness of decontamination procedures

Figures & data

Table 1. Deployment protocol, job assignments, and response times.

Apparatus	Job assignment (2 firefighters per assignment)	Specific tasks	Median time outside structure (min)	Median time inside structure (min)
Engine 1	Outside Command/Pump	Incident command and operate the pump	20	0
	Inside Attack	Pull primary attack line from engine and suppress all active fire	3	8
Truck 1	Inside Search	Forcible entry into the structure and then search for and rescue two victims (weighted manikins)	2	8
	Outside Vent	Deploy ladders to the structure and create openings at windows and roof (horizontal and vertical ventilation)	19	0
Engine 2	Overhaul/Backup	Pull a second attack line and support the first-in engine (from outside the structure) and then perform overhaul operations inside the structure after fire suppression	11	16
	Overhaul/RIT	Set up as a rapid intervention team (RIT) and then perform overhaul operations inside the building after fire suppression	11	17

Table 2. Summary of sampling methods.

Sampling performed	Collection periods	Sample time (min)	n	Analytes	Method
Wipe sampling of exterior surface of turnout jackets	Pre-firePost-firePost-decon	NANANA	3663Dry-brush: 12Air-based: 12Wet-soap: 12	PAHs	Individually packaged wipes containing 0.45% isopropanol and benzalkonium chloride analyzed by HPLC/UV/FL (NIOSH Method 5506)^[46]
Wipe sampling of hand and neck skin	Pre-firePost-firePost-skin cleaning	NANANA	Hands: 12Neck: 12Hands: 142Neck: 142Neck: 46	PAHs	Cloth wipes with corn oil analyzed by HPLC/UV/FL (NIOSH Method 5506)^[46]
Offgas sampling of turnout jackets and trousers	Pre-firePost-firePost-decon	151515	121212	VOCs and HCN	Thermal desorption tube, 150 cc/min, analyzed by GC/MS and soda lime sorbent tube, 200 cc/min, analyzed by UV/VIS

VOCs = volatile organic compounds (i.e., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene); GC/MS = gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; HCN = hydrogen cyanide; HPLC/UV/FL = high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection; UV/VIS = ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.

Figure 1. Median PAH levels on turnout jacket by job assignment and use in fires without field decontamination being performed (n = 3 for each observation, error bars represent minimum and maximum values).

Figure 2. PAH levels on turnout jacket after use in four fires by job-assignment pairing (first assignment – last assignment).

Figure 3. Box and whisker plots showing the percent difference in PAH levels measured on turnout jackets before and after decontamination. The minimum, 25^th percentile, median, 75^th percentile, and maximum values are provided. One sample each was excluded from air and wet-soap decon because post-fire levels were non-detectable.

Figure 4. Median air concentrations of VOCs and HCN measured off-gassing from six sets of (a) decontaminated turnout gear during pre-fire, post-fire, and post-decon periods (n = 12 for each observation, except for the post-fire VOC observations in which n = 10 due to sample loss) and (b) non-decontaminated turnout gear during pre-fire, post-fire, and simultaneous to the post-decon periods (n = 12 for each observation). Horizontal lines represent the limits of detection for each analyte. Error bars represent the minimum and maximum values.

Table 3. PAH levels measured on skin before and after firefighting.

Job assignment	Skin site	Period	n	No. of NDs	Median (µg/m^2)^a	Interquartile range (µg/m^2)^a
All	Hands	Pre-fire	12	9	< 4.5	< 4.5
		Post-fire	142	34	16.3	5.2–125
	Neck	Pre-fire	12	8	< 24	< 24–31.2
		Post-fire	142	84	< 24	< 24–38.1
Inside Attack	Hands	Post-fire	24	1	135	67–190
	Neck	Post-fire	24	12	< 32^b	< 24–152
Inside Search	Hands	Post-fire	24	0	226	144–313
	Neck	Post-fire	24	12	< 27^b	< 24–71.7
Overhaul/Backup	Hands	Post-fire	24	8	6.5	< 4.5–16.3
	Neck	Post-fire	24	17	< 24	< 24–31.4
Overhaul/RIT	Hands	Post-fire	24	4	8.4	6.1–30.8
	Neck	Post-fire	24	15	< 24	< 24–34.5
Outside Vent	Hands	Post-fire	24	4	10.5	6.2–23.4
	Neck	Post-fire	24	10	30.5	< 24–39.3
Outside Command/Pump	Hands	Post-fire	22	17	< 4.5	< 4.5
	Neck	Post-fire	22	18	< 24	< 24

^a Values of < 4.5 and < 24 µg/m² were based on the lowest limit of detection for the measured PAHs (0.5 µg) divided by the surface area of the sampled skin site (0.11 m² for hands and 0.021 m² for neck).

^b The median was somewhere between a non-detectable and a detectable measurement; therefore, a value of less than the detectable measurement is provided.

Table 4. Post-fire PAH levels measured on the skin of firefighters assigned to interior attack and search by tactic.

Skin site	Type of tactic	n	No. of NDs	Median (µg/m^2)	Interquartile range (µg/m^2)
Hands	Interior	24	0	180	129–276
	Transitional	24	1	144	114–257
Neck	Interior	24	11	36.2	< 24–113
	Transitional	24	13	< 24	< 24–49

Figure 5. Median levels of specific PAHs measured on (a) jackets of firefighters assigned to Inside Search after use in four fires without any field decontamination (n = 3 jackets) and (b) hands of firefighters assigned to Inside Search after firefighting (n = 24). Also provided are the median percentage of total PAHs and IARC classification for each PAH species. Class 1 = carcinogenic to humans; 2A = probably carcinogenic to humans, 2B = possibly carcinogenic to humans, and 3 = not classifiable. Error bars represent the maximum levels measured.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Manual of Analytical Methods 4th ed. Publication No. 94–113 (August 1994); 1st Supplement Publication 96–135, 2nd Supplement Publication 98–119, 3rd Supplement Publication 2003–154. P.C. Schlecht, P.F. O'Connor (eds). Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013.

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