Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure in Municipal Firefighters

PI: Michael Knipp, DO Presented by Faculty Advisor: Erin N. Haynes, DrPH, MS Research Collaborators: Chief Ronald Texter, District Chief Cincinnati Fire Department Stuart Baxter, PhD Samarat Yeramaneni, BMMS, Epidemiology PhD student Glenn Talaska, PhD Tiffany Beddoe, Industrial Hygiene MS student John Joskolka , Industrial Hygiene MS student

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

 Product of incomplete combustion

 Lipophilic (soluble in oil)  Carcinogenic  Urinary 1-HP correlates well

with external PAH exposure (Brandt & Watson Ann. Occup. Hyg. 2003)

Skin as an Important Route of Exposure

 Lipophilic compounds readily cross the skin.

 Skin absorption increases with increasing temperature.

Plantar foot arch 1

Lateral ankle 3 Palm 6 Ventral forearm 7

Back 12 Scalp 25 Forehead 43 Jaw angle 93 Scrotum 300

Relative Regional Permeability of Human

Skin to Topical 14C- Hydrocortisone

Chimney Sweeps: A Lesson in History

 English chimney sweeps – Very infrequent washing, loose

clothing – scrotal & testicular cancer

(Pott 1776, Butlin 1892)

 Belgian, French, Swedish & German sweeps – Daily washing, tight fitting

clothing – no cancer

(Butlin, 1892; Gustavsson, 1988, 1993)

Cancers of Firefighters

LeMasters GK et al, 2006. Cancer risk among firefighters: A review and meta analysis of 32 studies. JOEM.

Review of 32 articles on firefighters (110,000 full- time firefighters) and health effects found:

 Cancers probably elevated in firefighters are: – Multiple myeloma – Non-Hodgkins lymphoma – Prostate cancer – Testicular cancer

Hypothesis

 Firefighting will result in a significantly higher exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as measured by dermal exposure and urinary 1-HP than a non- firefighting occupation.

Research Requires Collaboration!

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Methods: Study Population

 Firefighters – Cincinnati Fire Stations 19 (Corryville) – 14 (4th St. and Central)

 Nonfirefighters – UC Radiation Safety

Demographics Firefighters Radiation Safety

n 35 9 Age (years) 42 43

Female 1 (3%) 2 (22%) Smoking status

Never 21 of 30 (70%) 2 (28%) Current 5 of 30 (17%) 3 of 7 (43%) Former 4 of 30 (13%) 2 of 7 (28%)

Unknown 5 of 35 (14%) 2 of 9 (22%)

Kelly Day 1-HP vs. Post Fire Event 1-HP in Firefighters

Urinary 1-HP Concentration (µg/L)

Kelly Day Mean (St.Dev)

Post Fire Event Mean (St.Dev)

P value (one-tailed)

n 10 13 1-HP 0.34 (0.44) 0.96 (1.19) 0.02

1-HP analyzed under the direction of Dr. Glenn Talaska.

Kelly Day 1-HP vs. Post Fire Event 1-HP in Firefighters

Urinary 1-HP Concentration (µg/L)

Kelly Day Mean (St.Dev)

Post Fire Event Mean (St.Dev)

P value (one-tailed)

n 10 13 1-HP 0.34 (0.44) 0.96 (1.19) 0.02

Analyses remaining: Analyze remaining firefighter urine and unexposed group urine for 1-HP.

Detectable PAHs in Firefighter Dust/Face Wipes Following a Fire Event

PAH

N (%) of samples detected

Mean (St. Dev) Concentration (ng)

Benz[a]anthracene 3 (15%) 0.11 (0.023)

Benzo{b,j,k] fluoranthene 13 (65%) 0.16 (0.049) Benzo[a]pyrene 2 (10%) 0.09 (0.04)

Benzo[e]pyrene 1 (5%) 0.11

Chrysene 1 (5%) 0.10

7,12-DImethylbenz[a]anthracene 1 (5%) 0.05

Fluoranthene 3 (15%) 0.08 (0.03)

Ideno[1,2,3,-c,d]pyrene 1 (5%) 0.06

Phenanthrene 1 (5%) 0.15

Pyrene 6 (30%) 0.12 (0.02)

Preliminary Conclusions

 Benzo{b,j,k] fluoranthene and pyrene were the most frequently detected PAHs in the soot collected from the face/neck skin wipe of firefighters following a fire event.

 Urinary 1-HP was significantly higher following fire event than Kelly Day urine.

Future Directions & Questions

 Complete laboratory & data analysis What is the interaction of the individual

PAHs in soot?  Evaluate the long-term effect of PAH

exposure using cumulative effect biomarkers of exposure, i.e., chromosome aberrations.

Thank you!