Kirk Katherine M, Logan Michael B
a Scientific and Research Branch , Queensland Fire and Emergency Services , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
J Occup Environ Hyg. 2015;12(6):376-83. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2015.1006638.
Firefighters may be exposed to toxic combustion products not only during fire fighting operations and training, but also afterwards as a result of contact with contaminated structural fire fighting ensembles. This study characterized the deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) onto structural fire fighting ensembles and off-gassing of combustion products from ensembles after multiple exposures to hostile structural attack fire environments. A variety of PAHs were deposited onto the outer layer of structural fire fighting ensembles, with no variation in deposition flux between new ensembles and already contaminated ensembles. Contaminants released from ensembles after use included volatile organic compounds, carbonyl compounds, low molecular weight PAHs, and hydrogen cyanide. Air samples collected in a similar manner after laundering of ensembles according to manufacturer specifications indicated that laundering returns off-gassing concentrations of most of the investigated compounds to pre-exposure levels. These findings suggest that contamination of firefighter protective clothing increases with use, and that storage of unlaundered structural fire fighting ensembles in small, unventilated spaces immediately after use may create a source of future exposure to toxic combustion products for fire fighting personnel.
消防员不仅在灭火行动和训练期间可能接触到有毒燃烧产物，而且在之后由于接触受污染的结构性消防装备也可能接触到。本研究对多环芳烃（PAHs）在结构性消防装备上的沉积以及多次暴露于恶劣的建筑火灾环境后装备中燃烧产物的脱气情况进行了表征。多种PAHs沉积在结构性消防装备的外层，新装备和已受污染的装备之间的沉积通量没有差异。使用后从装备中释放出的污染物包括挥发性有机化合物、羰基化合物、低分子量PAHs和氰化氢。按照制造商规格对装备进行清洗后，以类似方式采集的空气样本表明，清洗可使大多数被调查化合物的脱气浓度恢复到暴露前水平。这些发现表明，消防员防护服的污染会随着使用而增加，并且在使用后立即将未清洗的结构性消防装备存放在狭小、通风不良的空间中可能会成为消防员未来接触有毒燃烧产物的一个来源。
