Evaluation of fireground exposures using urinary PAH metabolites.

Background: Firefighters have increased cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to the general population, and are exposed to multiple products of combustion including known and suspected carcinogens.

Objective: The study objective was to quantify fire response exposures by role and self-reported exposure risks.

Methods: Urinary hydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH-OHs) were measured at baseline and 2-4 h after structural fires and post-fire surveys were collected.

Evaluation of Interventions to Reduce Firefighter Exposures.

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of firefighter exposure reduction interventions.

Methods: Fireground interventions included use of self-contained breathing apparatus by engineers, entry team wash down, contaminated equipment isolation, and personnel showering and washing of gear upon return to station. Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites (PAH-OHs) were measured after structural fire responses before and after intervention implementation.

Assessment of the toxicity of firefighter exposures using the PAH CALUX bioassay.

Firefighters can be exposed to a complex set of contaminants while at a fire scene. Identifying new ways to monitor and assess exposure, particularly relating to toxicity is essential to determine the effectiveness of intervention techniques to reduce exposure. This study investigated the use of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) CALUX® bioassay for the assessment of exposure and associated toxicity firefighters might encounter.

Latent cognitive effects from low-level polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in juvenile European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Ecotoxicology research on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures has focused principally on short-term effects on reproduction, growth, and other physiological endpoints. Latent cognitive effects from early life exposure to low-level PCBs were examined in an avian model, the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Thirty-six birds, divided equally among 4 treatment groups (control = 0 µg, low = 0.

Developmental Exposure to Aroclor 1254 Alters Migratory Behavior in Juvenile European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Birds exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals during development could be susceptible to neurological and other physiological changes affecting migratory behaviors. We investigated the effects of ecologically relevant levels of Aroclor 1254, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, on moult, fattening, migratory activity, and orientation in juvenile European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Birds were orally administered 0 (control), 0.