qfes research & scientific branch

QFES Research & Scientific Branch

QUEENSLAND FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES

FIREFIGHTER EXPOSURE STUDY

“COME TO WORK CLEAN GO HOME CLEAN”


Science

Inform about PPE performance

understand sources of exposure and consequence

when is it dirty? Can we determine in field?

Inform development and application risk based decision making tools

Occupational Health and Safety

Challenge and improve operational doctrine

Inform the debate about sources of exposure and consequence

health impacts on emergency responders

Inform selection of risk control measures and minimising opportunities for exposure

at fireground, vehicle and station

Predict the likely exposures of fire fighters, emergency responders and the community at any fire

WHY THE INTEREST-A SAFER COMMUNITY!


Combustion products reflect

structure/type/quantity/mix

temperature and oxygen content

decomposition pathways

fire type and fire evolution stage

other hazardous materials

extinguishing agents

COMBUSTION


Combustion products include

- Inorganic oxides – carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide;

- Hydrocarbons – saturated/unsaturated- methane/benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs);

- Partially oxygenated hydrocarbons- like acrolein;

- Partially nitrogenated/halogenated/sulfurated organics;

- Undecomposed/partially decomposed products;

- Simple inorganic molecules like hydrogen cyanide, sulfur dioxide;

- Volatile metal/non metal oxides like “zinc oxide”;

- Volatile inorganic compounds like arsine;

- Particulates including PAHs; and

- Non volatile products such as copper oxide

Combustion product distribution and concentration varies

Combustion product toxicity varies

FIRE PRODUCTS


Fire -heat

Particulates Air Person

Airborne Contaminants contactlungs/skin

Most effective entry route is the lungs

HOW DOES IT GET TO US-EXPOSURE

Source Pathway Receptor

if fire-fighters don self contained breathing apparatus then

the route of entry with greatest significance? skin!!!

fire fighter ensembles are designed to withstand heat, but little if anything is known about whether protective

clothing affords protection against airborne contaminants

research generally focused on understanding environment outside the firefighter protective clothing or thermal

performance


Literature Review � ongoing

Measure the concentrations of the combustion products;- Simulated room burns � completed (5/5) report

- Wildfires � completed draft report

- Simulated office burns � completed (5/5) report

- Simulated petrochemical burns � completed (5/5) report

- Simulated industrial fires � completed (5/5) report

- Operational fires � to commence

- Instructor Exposure-repeated entry �draft report

- FESA/QFES study Stage I- report complete stage 2 commenced

- Bushfire extension -to commence

Establish relationships between contaminant concentrations and Fire-fighting practices; � underway

Implement changes at QCESA –Live Fire ongoing

Inform QFES fire-fighters and wider audience ongoing

Trial at select stations in preparation

Broad implementation across QFES in preparation

STUDY STRUCTURE


Characterise fire fighter exposures during activities within simulated fires and fires within the community

Establish relationships between:

- fire fighting and other work practices;

- external fire fighter exposures;

- fire fighter exposures adjacent to the skin;

- deposition of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on the protective clothing; and

- deposition of PAHs onto the skin

Focus on instructors during hostile attack three repeats four fires

- deposition of PAH onto clothing sequentially; and

- off-gassing off garments after these activities

EXAMPLE OBJECTIVES


airborne PAH exposures much higher

than

other fire simulations

Protection factors inside are similar to

those observed from simulated fires

EXAMPLE RESULTS POLYAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAH)

Total PAH concentration outside and inside protective clothing

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8,000,000

9,000,000

Burn one Burn Two Burn Three

BurnP

AH

co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

ng

/m3

)

outside

Inside96.8%

87.1%

81.6%


PAH deposition concentration on protective clothing and

airborne concentration relative to phenanthrene

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.504.00

PAH

rela

tive d

ep

osit

ion

rati

o

ensemble two burn one

ensemble one burn one

ensemble three burn one

airborne burn one

airborne burn two

airborne burn three

ANOTHER VIEW

PAH CONCENTRATION ON CLOTHING COMPARED WITH

AIRBORNE RELATIVE TO PHENANTHRENE

xxx


A FURTHER VIEW: PAH DEPOSITION ON SKIN- CHEST

Deposition occurs onto the skin

not detected on all occasions

naphthalene, etc

Some variance between values

exposure times differ

airborne PAH concentrations differ

?relationship between time and extent of deposition

Reinforces message about managing exposures, and shower

after a fire.

Deposition of PAH onto Chest

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

naphthaleneace

naphth

ene

phenanth

rene

fluora

nthene

benz[a]anthr

acene

benzo[b+k]f

luora

nthene

benzo[a]pyre

ne

indeno[1,2

,3-cd]py

rene

benzo[ghi]p

eryle

ne

PAH

co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

ng

/cm

2)

burn2008

burn2009

burnA2011

burnB2011

burnC2011


AVERAGE BENZENE OFF GASSING RELATIONSHIP

Average Benzene off-gas concentration

0.0

50000.0

100000.0

150000.0

200000.0

250000.0

300000.0

350000.0

detection

odour

threshold

recognition

odour

threshold

exposure

standard

plastic bag equiment

locker

equipment

room

location

co

nc

en

tra

tio

n u

g/m

3

location

Data Explanation

Recognition 97 ppm

Detection 34 ppm

WES 1 ppm

Av benzene 0.038 ppm

Locker 0.018 ppm

Room 0.00006 ppm

Assumes no air exchanges

locker closed- equilibrium

Ratio against WES16667X55X26X


Total PAH concentration outside and inside protective clothing

during simulated residential fire

0

10000000

20000000

30000000

40000000

50000000

60000000

70000000

80000000

90000000

SAR Extinguishment Overhaul

Activity

Co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

ng

/m3

)

Outside

Inside

Simulated residential burn

Search and Recue (SAR), extinguishment and overhaul.

Differences SAR/Extinguishment and overhaul

95 % reduction from extinguishment to overhaul

Significant variation

(upto ca. 130 X) during same extinguishment activity)

( upto ca. 300 during same SAR activity)

(upto ca. 30 X during overhaul)

greater variation and higher exposures in residential/office/industrial simulated burns than earlier

work undertaken by QFES only during extinguishment ( < 6 X)

SECOND EXAMPLE-TOTAL PAH DURING SIMULATED

RESIDENTIAL BURN-SAR/EXTINGUISHMENT/OVERHAUL


PAH deposition onto skin surrogate

deposition onto arm/chest during SAR/extinguishment

<Limit of Reporting (LOR) during overhaul and on legs

variation between same activity

Naphthalene/phenanthrene most common

Note first time benzo[a]pyrene deposition measured

TOTAL PAH DEPOSITION DURING SIMULATED RESIDENTIAL

BURN-SAR/EXTINGUISHMENT/OVERHAUL

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

PAH concentra

tion (n

g/cm

2)

Naphthalene

Acenaphthylene

Acenaphthene

Fluore

ne

Phenanthre

ne

Anthra

cene

Fluora

nthene

Pyre

ne

Benz[a]anthra

cene

Chrysene

Benzo[b+k]flu

ora

nthene

Pery

lene

Benzo[a]pyre

ne

Benzo[e]pyre

ne

Indeno[1,2,3-c

d]pyre

ne

Dibenz[a,h]anthra

cene

Benzo[ghi]p

ery

lene

PAH

Deposition of PAH onto Chest- Extinguishment

Burn One

Burn Two

Burn Three

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

PAH concentra

tion (n

g/cm2)

Naphthalene

Acenaphthylene

Acenaphthene

Fluorene

Phenanthrene

Anthracene

Fluoranthene

Pyrene

Benz[a]anthracene

Chrysene

Benzo[b+k]flu

oranthene

Perylene

Benzo[a]pyrene

Benzo[e]pyrene

Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene

Dibenz[a,h]anthracene

Benzo[ghi]p

erylene

PAH

Deposition of PAH onto Chest- SAR

Burn Three

Burn Two

Burn One


Fire- fighter exposure varies according to activity

MUST don SCBA and establish control zones around smoke egress

Don’t stand in smoke - immediate deposition onto protective clothing and penetration of clothing

- deposition distribution similar to PAH smoke composition

PPE offers some protection against ingress of airborne contaminants especially PAHs

PAH deposition shown to occur on skin surrogate

Have a shower after fire response!!! –limits the dose

Positioning/Tactics influence on exposure yet to be resolved but

- stay low and use positions below neutral plane

- also minimises heat exposure

- stay behind water curtain if possible

Challenge approaches to

how uniforms/workwear are applied and managed.

how vehicles/stations and “inside” are managed

WHAT DOES IT MEAN SO FAR?

qfes research & scientific branch

Documents