title: Hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as biomarkers of exposure to wood smoke in wildland firefighters.
abstract: Wildland firefighter's exposure to wildland fire or vegetative biomass smoke has mostly been assessed by personal monitoring to airborne pollutants. However, the use of biomarkers may accurately reflect the internal (systemic) dose received by the firefighter. In this study, we assessed occupational exposure to wildland fire smoke in 14 wildland firefighters working at prescribed burns at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina by measuring the urinary concentrations of nine hydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs). Except for 1-hydroxynaphthalene, preshift median concentrations of the OH-PAHs were higher compared with the median concentrations reported among the US general population, indicating elevated exposures to PAHs among the wildland firefighters during the prescribed burn season. The postshift concentrations of OH-PAHs were 83-323% (P<0.0001) higher compared with the preshift concentrations. Higher postshift concentrations of individual OH-PAHs were observed in 49 (87.5%) to 53 (94.6%) of all the 56 pre-post sample pairs. Additionally, the cross-shift (pre- to postshift) increase in 4-hydroxy-phenanthrene urinary concentration was marginally associated (P<0.1) with work shift exposure to PM2.5and significantly associated (P<0.05) with levoglucosan, which is a marker of wildland fire or vegetative biomass smoke. These results suggest that OH-PAHs, especially 4PHE, may be useful biomarkers of wildland fire smoke exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Science, The University of Georgia, College of Public Health, Athens, Georgia, USA.|Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Olorunfemi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adetona
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sjodin
authors.affiliation: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Antonia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calafat
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Science, The University of Georgia, College of Public Health, Athens, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Luke P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Naeher
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000652:urine*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D003404:Creatinine; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters; D005390:Fires; D065928:Forests; D005947:Glucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000652:urine*; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis*; D013022:South Carolina; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012906:Smoke; C014989:1,6-anhydro-beta-glucopyranose; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D003404:Creatinine; D005947:Glucose