Publications by authors named "William Papas"
Article Synopsis
- Firefighters are exposed to harmful substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and flame retardants (FRs) during fires, and this study used silicone wristbands (SWBs) to measure these exposures in various settings related to fire stations and firefighters.
- The findings revealed that fire station areas generally had higher concentrations of low molecular weight PAHs and specific organophosphate flame retardants compared to office areas, with truck interiors showing particularly high levels.
- Exposure to these harmful substances was lower when firefighters did not respond to fires, but significantly increased in conditions involving heavy smoke, indicating the influence of both work environments and fire conditions on exposure levels.
PFAS emissions from functional textiles using micro-chamber and thermal desorption coupled to two-dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (TD-GC×GC-TOF MS).
J Chromatogr A
September 2024
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in the polymeric form, have been used extensively in functional textiles, including firefighter's turnout gear (e.g., jackets and pants), where PFAS are applied to confer oil and water resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFirefighters experience exposures to carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Silicone wristbands (SWBs) have been used as passive samplers to assess firefighters' exposures over the course of a shift but their utility in measuring short term exposures, source of exposure, and correlations with other measurements of exposure have not yet been investigated. In this study, SWBs were used to measure the concentrations of 16 priority PAHs inside and outside of firefighters' personal protective equipment (PPE) while firefighting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF