Firefighters exposed to more potentially harmful chemicals than previously thought

Photo caption: Firefighters in the Kansas City, Missouri, area, wore personal passive samplers in the shape of a military-style dog tag made of silicone on an elastic necklace. The samplers detect chemicals in the air. Photo by Carolyn Poutasse, Oregon State University. Article by Chris Branam. Source: Kim Anderson.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new Oregon State University study suggests that firefighters are more likely to be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals while on duty compared to off duty.

The on-duty firefighters in the Kansas City, Missouri, area experienced higher exposures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are a family of chemicals that are known to have the potential to cause cancer. They were also exposed to 18 PAHs that have not been previously reported as firefighting exposures in earlier research. […]

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