Abstract
Occupational studies indicate that firefighters are at higher risk for different types of cancers than the general population, and concern has mounted about elevated rates of premenopausal breast cancer among women firefighters. The Women Firefighters Biomonitoring Collaborative (WFBC) is a community-based participatory research project analyzing exposures to environmental chemicals linked to breast cancer among female firefighters in San Francisco (SF) compared to non-firefighters. As scientific partners in the WFBC, women firefighters have been involved in study design, data collection, and results communication. Between 2013 and 2014 we recruited 86 women firefighters and 84 office workers employed in San Francisco, conducted an exposure assessment interview, and collected blood samples. We conducted targeted analysis for 12 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We detected seven compounds in over 70% of participants at levels above the level of detection (LOD 0.02-0.05 ng/ml), five of which were detected in 98 -100% of participants. Multivariate models showed that firefighters had a 1.53 and 2.19 times higher concentration of PFNA and PFHxS respectively, compared to non-firefighters. Among firefighters only, multivariate models showed increased concentration of PFNA, PFOA, PFOS and PFUnDA for firefighters aged 50 years or older, and higher PFOA levels among firefighters who reported ever using firefighting foam. Additionally, PFHxS levels were higher among those who “rarely” used personal protective equipment (PPE) compared to those who reported “always/often” using PPE. Our results indicate that women firefighters have higher levels of some PFAS compared to office workers, and that these exposures may be associated with firefighting foam and PPE use.Further research is needed to understand the health implications, particularly for breast cancer risk, of these exposures.
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