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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