1
|
Girase A, Shinde A, Ormond RB. Qualitative Assessment of Off-Gassing of Compounds from Field-Contaminated Firefighter Jackets with Varied Air Exposure Time Intervals Using Headspace GC-MS. TEXTILES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 3:246-256. [PMID: 37786878 PMCID: PMC10544876 DOI: 10.3390/textiles3020016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Firefighters are exposed to a complex mix of volatile and semi-volatile compounds from burning construction materials, consumer products, and other elements during fire suppression and rescue. These compounds can be absorbed onto the gear worn by firefighters and, depending on their volatility, can be released from the gear under different conditions. Few studies have focused on the off-gassing of toxic compounds from firefighters' gear, particularly in terms of qualitative analysis methods. This study introduces a novel qualitative analysis method using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) to assess off-gassing from field-contaminated jackets at regular intervals. Our findings show that certain compounds, such as acetic acid and di-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate (DEHP), remained present even after the gear were allowed to air out for 48 h. The persistent off-gassing of chemicals, even under ambient conditions, raises concerns about potential hazards that could pose risks for personnel in the vicinity of contaminated gear, including inside fire stations. The implications of these findings extend beyond fire stations and may have significant public health implications for firefighters who are repeatedly exposed to these compounds over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arjunsing Girase
- Textile Protection and Comfort Center, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Adhiraj Shinde
- Textile Protection and Comfort Center, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Robert Bryan Ormond
- Textile Protection and Comfort Center, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Aliaño-González MJ, Montalvo G, García-Ruiz C, Ferreiro-González M, Palma M. Assessment of Volatile Compound Transference through Firefighter Turnout Gear. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:3663. [PMID: 35329348 PMCID: PMC8953482 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19063663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
There is high concern about the exposure of firefighters to toxic products or carcinogens resulting from combustion during fire interventions. Firefighter turnout gear is designed to protect against immediate fire hazards but not against chemical agents. Additionally, the decontamination of firefighter personal protective equipment remains unresolved. This study evaluated the feasibility of a screening method based on headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) in combination with chemometrics (cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and linear discriminant analysis) for the assessment of the transference of volatile compounds through turnout gear. To achieve this, firefighter turnout gears exposed to two different fire scenes (with different combustion materials) were directly analyzed. We obtained a spectral fingerprint for turnout gears that were both exposed and non-exposed to fire scenes. The results showed that (i): the contamination of the turnout gears is different depending on the type of fire loading; and (ii) it is possible to determine if the turnout gear is free of volatile compounds. Based on the latest results, we concluded that HS-GC-IMS can be applied as a screening technique to assess the quality of turnout gear prior to a new fire intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María José Aliaño-González
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cadiz, The Wine and Food Research Institute IVAGRO, Puerto Real, 11510 Cadiz, Spain; (M.J.A.-G.); (M.P.)
| | - Gemma Montalvo
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid–Barcelona km 33,600, 28871 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.); (C.G.-R.)
- Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP), Calle Libreros 27, 28801 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen García-Ruiz
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid–Barcelona km 33,600, 28871 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.); (C.G.-R.)
- Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP), Calle Libreros 27, 28801 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Ferreiro-González
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cadiz, The Wine and Food Research Institute IVAGRO, Puerto Real, 11510 Cadiz, Spain; (M.J.A.-G.); (M.P.)
| | - Miguel Palma
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cadiz, The Wine and Food Research Institute IVAGRO, Puerto Real, 11510 Cadiz, Spain; (M.J.A.-G.); (M.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jang M, Yang H, Shin G, Koo JM, Hwang SY, Park J, X. Oh D. Determination of Methanol in Commercialized Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizing and Other Similar Products using Headspace GC-MS. CURR ANAL CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.2174/1573411018666220107145321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Demand for alcohol-based products, including gel- and aqueous-type hand sanitizers, room sprays, and mouthwashes, has sharply increased during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic because of their microbicidal properties. However, toxic methanol can be found from intentional addition of methanol by manufacturers and invariable production during the manufacture alcohol (ethanol). Although the FDA has recommended that such products should contain less than 630 ppm of methanol, it is only a temporary measure established specifically to regulate such products during the current COVID-19 pandemic and hence is not strictly regulated.
Objective:
This study aims to detect and quantify the level of methanol in alcohol-based products. However, some manufacturers unethically add methanol in their products and promote them as methanol-free. Besides, they do not provide proficiency and toxicity test results. Therefore, these kinds of products need to be analyzed to determine if they are acceptable to use.
Method:
This study qualitatively and quantitatively investigates the amount of methanol in commercial alcohol-based products using a newly developed headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method. Moreover, alcohol beverages which contain methanol were analyzed to be compared with the levels of methanol in alcohol-based products and determine if their methanol levels are acceptable.
Results:
Methanol concentrations in gel-type hand sanitizers (517 ppm) and mouthwashes (202 ppm) were similar to those in white wine (429 ppm) and beer (256 ppm), respectively, while that of aqueous-type hand sanitizers (1139 ppm) is 1.5 times more than that of red wine (751 ppm).
Conclusion:
Methanol levels in most of the alcohol-based products did not exceed the FDA-recommended limit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Jang
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44425, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyemin Yang
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44425, Republic of Korea
| | - Giyoung Shin
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44425, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Mo Koo
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44425, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Yeon Hwang
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44425, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeyoung Park
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44425, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongyeop X. Oh
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44425, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lucena MADM, Zapata F, Mauricio FGM, Ortega-Ojeda FE, Quintanilla-López MG, Weber IT, Montalvo G. Evaluation of an Ozone Chamber as a Routine Method to Decontaminate Firefighters' PPE. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:10587. [PMID: 34682332 PMCID: PMC8536115 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Ozone chambers have emerged as an alternative method to decontaminate firefighters' Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from toxic fire residues. This work evaluated the efficiency of using an ozone chamber to clean firefighters' PPE. This was achieved by studying the degradation of pyrene and 9-methylanthracene polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The following experiments were performed: (i) insufflating ozone into PAH solutions (homogeneous setup), and (ii) exposing pieces of PPE impregnated with the PAHs to an ozone atmosphere for up to one hour (heterogeneous setup). The ozonolysis products were assessed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC), and Mass Spectrometry (MS) analysis. In the homogeneous experiments, compounds of a higher molecular weight were produced due to the incorporation of oxygen into the PAH structures. Some of these new compounds included 4-oxapyren-5-one (m/z 220) and phenanthrene-4,5-dicarboxaldehyde (m/z 234) from pyrene; or 9-anthracenecarboxaldehyde (m/z 207) and hydroxy-9,10-anthracenedione (m/z 225) from 9-methylanthracene. In the heterogeneous experiments, a lower oxidation was revealed, since no byproducts were detected using FTIR and TLC, but only using MS. However, in both experiments, significant amounts of the original PAHs were still present even after one hour of ozone treatment. Thus, although some partial chemical degradation was observed, the remaining PAH and the new oxygenated-PAH compounds (equally or more toxic than the initial molecules) alerted us of the risks to firefighters' health when using an ozone chamber as a unique decontamination method. These results do not prove the ozone-advertised efficiency of the ozone chambers for decontaminating (degrading the toxic combustion residues into innocuous compounds) firefighters' PPE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcella A. de Melo Lucena
- BSTR, Fundamental Chemistry Department, Federal University of Pernambuco-UFPE, Avenida Prof. Luiz Freire, S/N, CDU, Recife 50740-540, Brazil
| | - Félix Zapata
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Grupo de Investigación CINQUIFOR, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (F.Z.); (F.E.O.-O.)
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Fernando E. Ortega-Ojeda
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Grupo de Investigación CINQUIFOR, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (F.Z.); (F.E.O.-O.)
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Física y Matemáticas, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - M. Gloria Quintanilla-López
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Orgánica y Química Inorgánica, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain;
| | - Ingrid Távora Weber
- LIMA, Chemistry Institute, University of Brasilia-UNB, Brasilia 70904-970, Brazil; (F.G.M.M.); (I.T.W.)
| | - Gemma Montalvo
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Grupo de Investigación CINQUIFOR, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (F.Z.); (F.E.O.-O.)
| |
Collapse
|