Perfluoroalkyl Acids Including Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorohexane Sulfonate in Firefighters

Objective: Firefighters were likely exposed to perfluorooctane sulfonate since it was a component of extinguishing foams and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), a surfactant coating carpet and other building materials, during firefighting. The objective of the study is to evaluate serum concentration...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 2011-03, Vol.53 (3), p.324-328
Main Authors: Jin, ChuanFang, Sun, YingHua, Islam, Ahmed, Qian, Yong, Ducatman, Alan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alkanesulfonic Acids - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Caprylates - blood
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Cross-Sectional Studies
Fire Extinguishing Systems
Firefighters
Fires
Fluorocarbons - blood
Generalized linear models
Health Surveys
Human exposure
Humans
Linear Models
Male
Medical sciences
Multivariate Analysis
Occupational Exposure - analysis
Occupational health
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Sulfonic Acids - blood
Surface-Active Agents - analysis
Surfactants
Toxicology
Various organic compounds
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Summary:Objective: Firefighters were likely exposed to perfluorooctane sulfonate since it was a component of extinguishing foams and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), a surfactant coating carpet and other building materials, during firefighting. The objective of the study is to evaluate serum concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in firefighters. Methods: A total of 8826 male adults, including 37 firefighters, were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was conducted by using a general linear model. The least square mean of serum PFAAs was obtained after adjustment for demographic and socioeconomic variables. Results: Serum concentration of PFHxS was statistically higher in firefighters both before and after adjustment. Perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorononanoic acid were also found higher in firefighters, though not statistically significant. Conclusions: The study suggests that fighting fire can be a risk of exposure to PFAAs, specifically PFHxS.
ISSN:1076-2752
1536-5948
DOI:10.1097/JOM.0b013e31820d1314