%0 Journal Article %J Int J Hyg Environ Health %D 2023 %T Silicone passive sampling used to identify novel dermal chemical exposures of firefighters and assess PPE innovations. %A Emily M Bonner %A Gavin P Horn %A Denise L Smith %A Kerber, Steve %A Kenneth W Fent %A Lane G Tidwell %A Richard P Scott %A Kaley A Adams %A Kim A Anderson %K Air Pollutants, Occupational %K Firefighters %K Humans %K Occupational Exposure %K Personal Protective Equipment %K Pilot Projects %K Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons %K Silicones %X

A plethora of chemicals are released into the air during combustion events, including a class of compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs have been implicated in increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, both of which are disease endpoints of concern in structural firefighters. Current commercially available personal protective equipment (PPE) typically worn by structural firefighters during fire responses have gaps in interfaces between the ensemble elements (e.g., hood and jacket) that allow for ingress of contaminants and dermal exposure. This pilot study aims to use silicone passive sampling to assess improvements in dermal protection afforded by a novel configuration of PPE, which incorporates a one-piece liner to eliminate gaps in two critical interfaces between pieces of gear. The study compared protection against parent and alkylated PAHs between the one-piece liner PPE and the standard configuration of PPE with traditional firefighting jacket and pants. Mannequins (n = 16) dressed in the PPE ensembles were placed in a Fireground Exposure Simulator for 10 min, and exposed to smoke from a combusting couch. Silicone passive samplers were placed underneath PPE at vulnerable locations near interfaces in standard PPE, and in the chamber air, to measure PAHs and calculate the dermal protection provided by both types of PPE. Silicone passive sampling methodology and analyses using gas chromatography with mass-spectrometry proved to be well-suited for this intervention study, allowing for the calculation and comparison of worker protection factors for 51 detected PAHs. Paired comparisons of the two PPE configurations found greater sum 2-3 ring PAH exposure underneath the standard PPE than the intervention PPE at the neck and chest, and at the chest for 4-7 ring PAHs (respective p-values: 0.00113, 0.0145, and 0.0196). Mean worker protection factors of the intervention PPE were also greater than the standard PPE for 98% of PAHs at the neck and chest. Notably, the intervention PPE showed more than 30 times the protection compared to the standard PPE against two highly carcinogenic PAHs, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene and benzo[c]fluorene. Nine of the detected PAHs in this study have not been previously reported in fireground exposure studies, and 26 other chemicals (not PAHs) were detected using a large chemical screening method on a subset of the silicone samplers. Silicone passive sampling appears to be an effective means for measuring dermal exposure reduction to fireground smoke, providing evidence in this study that reducing gaps in PPE interfaces could be further pursued as an intervention to reduce dermal exposure to PAHs, among other chemicals.

%B Int J Hyg Environ Health %V 248 %P 114095 %8 2023 Mar %G eng %R 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114095 %0 Audiovisual Material %D 2020 %T Silicone Wristband Samplers Used to Evaluate Firefighter PPE Designs to Mitigate Fireground Chemical Exposures %A Emily M Bonner %A Gavin P Horn %A Denise L Smith %A Stephen Kerber %A Richard P Scott %A Lane G Tidwell %A Kim A Anderson %B International Society of Exposure Science, Remote %8 09/2020 %G eng %0 Audiovisual Material %D 2018 %T Silicone wristbands compared with traditional polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure assessment methods %A Holly Dixon %A Richard P Scott %A Darrell Holmes %A Lehyla Calero %A Laurel D Kincl %A Katrina M Waters %A David Camann %A Antonia M Calafat %A Julie Herbstman %A Kim A Anderson %B 3rd Tribal Environmental Health Summit, Corvallis, OR %C Corvallis, Oregon %8 06/2018 %G eng %0 Journal Article %J Anal Bioanal Chem %D 2018 %T Silicone wristbands compared with traditional polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure assessment methods %A Holly Dixon %A Richard P Scott %A Darrell Holmes %A Lehyla Calero %A Laurel D Kincl %A Katrina M Waters %A David Camann %A Antonia M Calafat %A Julie Herbstman %A Kim A Anderson %X

Currently there is a lack of inexpensive, easy-to-use technology to evaluate human exposure to environmental chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This is the first study in which silicone wristbands were deployed alongside two traditional personal PAH exposure assessment methods: active air monitoring with samplers (i.e., polyurethane foam (PUF) and filter) housed in backpacks, and biological sampling with urine. We demonstrate that wristbands worn for 48 h in a non-occupational setting recover semivolatile PAHs, and we compare levels of PAHs in wristbands to PAHs in PUFs-filters and to hydroxy-PAH (OH-PAH) biomarkers in urine. We deployed all samplers simultaneously for 48 h on 22 pregnant women in an established urban birth cohort. Each woman provided one spot urine sample at the end of the 48-h period. Wristbands recovered PAHs with similar detection frequencies to PUFs-filters. Of the 62 PAHs tested for in the 22 wristbands, 51 PAHs were detected in at least one wristband. In this cohort of pregnant women, we found more significant correlations between OH-PAHs and PAHs in wristbands than between OH-PAHs and PAHs in PUFs-filters. Only two comparisons between PAHs in PUFs-filters and OH-PAHs correlated significantly (r = 0.53 and p = 0.01; r = 0.44 and p = 0.04), whereas six comparisons between PAHs in wristbands and OH-PAHs correlated significantly (r = 0.44 to 0.76 and p = 0.04 to <0.0001). These results support the utility of wristbands as a biologically relevant exposure assessment tool which can be easily integrated into environmental health studies. Graphical abstract PAHs detected in samples collected from urban pregnant women.

%B Anal Bioanal Chem %8 04/2018 %G eng %R 10.1007/s00216-018-0992-z %0 Journal Article %J R Soc Open Sci %D 2016 %T Silicone wristbands detect individuals' pesticide exposures in West Africa. %A Carey E Donald %A Richard P Scott %A Kathy L Blaustein %A Mary L Halbleib %A Sarr, Makhfousse %A Paul C Jepson %A Kim A Anderson %X

We detected between 2 and 10 pesticides per person with novel sampling devices worn by 35 participants who were actively engaged in farming in Diender, Senegal. Participants were recruited to wear silicone wristbands for each of two separate periods of up to 5 days. Pesticide exposure profiles were highly individualized with only limited associations with demographic data. Using a 63-pesticide dual-column gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) method, we detected pyrethoid insecticides most frequently, followed by organophosphate pesticides which have been linked to adverse health outcomes. This work provides the first report of individualized exposure profiles among smallholder farmers in West Africa, where logistical and practical constraints have prevented the use of more traditional approaches to exposure assessment in the past. The wristbands and associated analytical method enabled detection of a broad range of agricultural, domestic, legacy and current-use pesticides, including esfenvalerate, cypermethrin, lindane, DDT and chlorpyrifos. Participants reported the use of 13 pesticide active ingredients while wearing wristbands. All six of the pesticides that were both reportedly used and included in the analytical method were detected in at least one wristband. An additional 19 pesticide compounds were detected beyond those that were reported to be in use, highlighting the importance of measuring exposure in addition to collecting surveys and self-reported use records. The wristband method is a candidate for more widespread use in pesticide exposure and health monitoring, and in the development of evidence-based policies for human health protection in an area where food security concerns are likely to intensify agricultural production and pesticide use in the near future.

%B R Soc Open Sci %V 3 %P 160433 %8 08/2016 %G eng %N 8 %R 10.1098/rsos.160433 %0 Generic %D 2016 %T Silicone wristbands detect individuals' pesticide exposures in West Africa %A Carey E Donald %A Richard P Scott %A Kathy L Blaustein %A Mary L Halbleib %A Sarr, Makhfousse %A Paul C Jepson %A Kim A Anderson %B International Society for Exposure Science Annual Meeting, Utrecht, the Netherlands %8 10/2016 %G eng %0 Audiovisual Material %D 2015 %T Silicone wristbands detect an individual's pesticide exposures in Africa %A Carey E Donald %A Richard P Scott %A Kathy L Blaustein %A Mary L Halbleib %A Sarr, Makhfousse %A Paul C Jepson %A Kim A Anderson %B SETAC North America 36th Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, Utah %8 10/2015 %G eng %0 Generic %D 2010 %T Second Place, Best Student Poster %A Richard P Scott %B National Allium Reseach Conference Reno, Nevada %G eng %0 Generic %D 2010 %T Sweet Onion Field Test Kit %A Lane G Tidwell %A Richard P Scott %A Merril, Dawn %A Kevin A Hobbie %A Kim A Anderson %B invited presentation and demonstration, 2010 National Onion Association Meeting %8 2010 %G eng