Firefighters exposure to fire emissions: Impact on levels of biomarkers of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and genotoxic/oxidative-effects

Marta Oliveira,Solange Costa,Josiana Vaz,Adília Fernandes,Klara Slezakova,Cristina Delerue-Matos,João Paulo Teixeira,Maria Carmo Pereira,Simone Morais

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121179

Abstract

Firefighters represent one of the riskiest occupations, yet due to the logistic reasons, the respective exposure assessment is one of the most challenging. Thus, this work assessed the impact of firefighting activities on levels of urinary monohydroxyl-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OHPAHs; 1-hydroxynaphthalene, 1-hydroxyacenaphthene, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxypyrene, 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene) and genotoxic/oxidative-effect biomarkers (basal DNA and oxidative DNA damage) of firefighters from eight firehouses. Cardiac frequency, blood pressure and arterial oxygen saturation were also monitored. OHPAHs were determined by liquid-chromatography with fluorescence detection, while genotoxic/oxidative-effect biomarkers were assessed by the comet assay. Concentrations of total OHPAHs were up to 340% higher (p ≤ 0.05) in (non-smoking and smoking) exposed workers than in control subjects (non-smoking and non-exposed to combat activities); the highest increments were observed for 1-hydroxynaphthalene and 1-hydroxyacenaphthene (82–88% of ∑OHPAHs), and for 2-hydroxyfluorene (5–15%). Levels of biomarker for oxidative stress were increased in non-smoking exposed workers than in control group (316%; p ≤ 0.001); inconclusive results were found for DNA damage. Positive correlations were found between the cardiac frequency, ∑OHPAHs and the oxidative DNA damage of non-smoking (non-exposed and exposed) firefighters. Evidences were raised regarding the simultaneous use of these biomarkers for the surveillance of firefighters’ health and to better estimate the potential short-term health risks.

Highlights

Climate changes and global warming have substantially contributed to increase forest fire episodes, with longer fire season and more potent fires
Based on the data collected from the questionnaires, firefighters were organized into three different groups according to their active participation in firefighting activities and their smoking habits: (i) nonsmoking and non-exposed subjects (Control group - firefighters that stayed at the fire stations and did not participate in fire combat), (ii) non-smoking and exposed subjects, and (iii) smoking and exposed subjects
Significant increments of the oxidative DNA damage were found in non-smoking exposed subjects

Summary

Introduction

Climate changes and global warming have substantially contributed to increase forest fire episodes, with longer fire season and more potent fires (de Rigo et al, 2017; San-Miguel-Ayanz et al, 2018). Forest fire emissions release large amounts of several hazardous gaseous and particulate pollutants: particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and volatile organic compounds (including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, phenol, xylene, acrolein, and ethylbenzene) (Abrard et al, 2019; Adame et al, 2018; de la Barrera et al, 2018; McClure and Jaffe, 2018; Wentworth et al, 2018; Oliveira et al, 2015, 2017a; Oliveira et al, 2017b; Fent et al, 2013, 2014; Fent et al, 2017, 2015; Park et al, 2015; Keir et al, 2017; Hsu et al, 2011; Pleil et al, 2014) Some of these compounds are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as potential/possible carcinogens to humans. Analitis and coworkers (Analitis et al, 2012) reported an increase of 5% in the daily total number of deaths, in a densely populated area, associated with exposure to forest fire emissions, and 6 and 15% increase in the number of cardiovascular and respiratory deaths, respectively

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