Table 1 Median urinary concentrations of OH-PAH metabolites (µg/g) in 24 firefighters (distributed evenly among 3 crews) assigned to attack, search, outside vent, or backup/overhaul who were sampled for 23 h after a single interior fire attack scenario

From: Firefighters’ absorption of PAHs and VOCs during controlled residential fires by job assignment and fire attack tactic

Metabolitea

Collection period

Attack / search (n = 12)b

Outside vent (n = 6)b

Backup / overhaul (n = 6)b

Hydroxynaphthalenes

Pre

4.8

5.4

3.7

3-h

32*

14*

9.3*

6-h

16*

8.8*

6.2*

12-h

8.0*

6.4

5.0*

23-h

6.4*

5.4

4.2

Hydroxyphenanthrenes

Pre

0.26

0.28

0.36

3-h

3.1*

1.3*

1.1*

6-h

2.2*

0.83*

0.73*

12-h

1.0*

0.52*

0.48*

23-h

0.67*

0.37*

0.42*

1-hydroxypyrene

Pre

0.11

0.14

0.12

3-h

0.56*

0.45*

0.47*

6-h

0.81*

0.33*

0.29*

12-h

0.73*

0.26*

0.23*

23-h

0.49*

0.23*

0.22*

Hydroxyfluorenes

Pre

0.34

0.35

0.32

3-h

1.1*

0.74*

0.67*

6-h

0.61*

0.53*

0.44*

12-h

0.44*

0.40*

0.39*

23-h

0.36

0.34

0.33

  1. aHydroxynaphthalenes = Σ 1-hydroxynaphthalene and 2-hydroxynaphthalene; hydroxyphenanthrenes = Σ 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene; hydroxyfluorenes = Σ 2-hydroxyfluorene and 3-hydroxyfluorene
  2. bBolded and italicized values represent peak excretion
  3. *Significantly different from pre-exposure levels (p < 0.05)
Back to article page