Objective Measurement of Carcinogens Among Dominican Republic Firefighters Using Silicone-Based Wristbands

Objective: Characterize objective measurements of carcinogenic exposure using passive sampling silicone-based wristbands among Dominican firefighters. Methods: Firefighters from a metropolitan fire service in the Dominican Republic were asked to wear a silicone-based wristband during one typical 24-hour shift. A pre- and post-shift survey collected work shift characteristics. Wristbands were processed for the type and quantity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a family of known carcinogenic compounds. Results: Fifteen firefighters wore a wristband, of which 73.3% responded to a fire with an average of 3.7 calls during the shift. Total PAH exposure was significantly higher among firefighters who responded to a fire versus firefighters with no fire during their shift (261 parts per billion [ppb] vs 117 ppb, P = 0.003). Conclusions: Silicone-based wristbands as objective passive samplers documented exposure to carcinogenic compounds during a typical 24-hour firefighter shift.