Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene
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J Occup Environ Hyg · Mar 2019
Pilot study on the efficiency of water-only decontamination for firefighters' turnout gear.
Firefighters are exposed to toxic environments upon entering burning structures. Many structures contain synthetic materials which release toxic chemicals when on fire. These chemicals can enter the body through multiple routes of exposure, including inhalation and skin absorption. ⋯ All firefighters came to a central location for sampling after completing their job responsibilities. Water only decontamination did not appear to be effective, resulting in an overall 42% increase in PAH contamination. The unexpected increase may have been due to disparate pre- and post-decontamination sampling sites on turnout gear.