Assessment of Exposure of Korean Firefighters to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons via Their Measurement in Serum and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolites in Urine

Environ Sci Technol. 2021 Oct 19;55(20):14015-14025. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02554. Epub 2021 Aug 26.

Abstract

This study investigated the occupational exposure of Korean firefighters to a suite of combustion-related pollutants. Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was assessed by measurement of their levels in serum and metabolites in urine (i.e., monohydroxylated PAHs, OH-PAHs). The mean level of ∑PBDEs in the serum of firefighters (17.1 ng/g lipid weight (lw)) was significantly higher than that of the general population (1.39 ng/g lw) (Mann-Whitney U Test, p < 0.05), which is similar to the ∑PAH levels (1286 ng/g lw for firefighters and 1016 ng/g lw for the general population). Individual OH-PAH levels showed 2.1- to 4.2-fold increases in postfire urine samples compared to the control urine samples, with the mean ∑OH-PAHs being significantly higher in postfire urine samples (22,658 ng/g creatinine) than in the control urine samples (10,253 ng/g creatinine) (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05). It was found that ∑PBDEs correlated with firefighters' length of service and years dedicated to on-site dispatch, while ∑OH-PAHs was strongly associated with firefighters' exposure duration, age, length of service, and years dedicated to on-site dispatch. Indeed, the results of the present study indicate that Korean firefighters are prone to elevated risk of exposure to toxic combustion-related pollutants compared with the general population.

Keywords: OH-PAH metabolites; PAHs; PBDEs; biomonitoring; firefighters; serum; urine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Firefighters*
  • Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / analysis
  • Humans
  • Occupational Exposure* / analysis
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
  • Republic of Korea

Substances

  • Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons