Respirable particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at two Polish fire stations

Abstract

Firefighters are often exposed to various products of combustion and pyrolysis, including substances in a gaseous phase and absorbed on particulate matter (PM). Herein, respirable PM (PM4) and 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH; in gaseous and particulate phases) at two Polish fire stations belonging to the State Fire Service were studied. At each station, over a 7 d period, gaseous and PM4-bound PAHs were sampled simultaneously in the common room, changing room, truck bay, and outside the station (in the atmospheric air). Based on these measurements, the indoor and outdoor diagnostic ratios, benzo(a)pyrene carcinogenicity equivalents (BaPeq), incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), and non-carcinogenic health risk of firefighters and fire station office workers were computed. The mean concentrations of PM4 were higher inside the fire stations than outside. Moreover, the highest mean concentration of PM4 was found in the truck bay, and the mean PAH concentrations were the highest in the changing rooms at both fire stations. The highest BaPeq occurred in the changing room (on average 19 ng/m3). The combustion of various materials and fuels was identified as the source of the PAHs at each fire station. The results showed that for both firefighters and office employees at each station, the estimated ILCR related to inhalation, ingestion, and dermal absorption of the PAHs exceeded the acceptable risk level. Thus, exposure to PM and PAHs occurs not only during fires but also in the fire stations, especially in places where fire equipment and fire uniforms are stored after fire related events.