Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 7, 2025

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Health Risks of Structural Firefighters from Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Systematic Review and
Jooyeon Hwang1, Chao Xu2, Robert J Agnew3
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Abstract:
Firefighters have an elevated risk of cancer, which is suspected to be caused by occupational and environmental exposure to fire smoke. Among many substances from fire smoke contaminants, one potential source of toxic exposure is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The goal of this paper is to identify the association between PAH exposure levels and contributing risk factors to derive best estimates of the effects of exposure on structural firefighters' working environment in fire. We surveyed four databases (Embase, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science) for this systematic literature review. Generic inverse variance method for random effects meta-analysis was applied for two exposure routes-dermal and inhalation. In dermal, the neck showed the highest dermal exposure increased after the fire activity. In inhalation, the meta-regression confirmed statistically significant increases in PAH concentrations for longer durations. We also summarized the scientific knowledge on occupational exposures to PAH in fire suppression activities. More research into uncontrolled emergency fires is needed with regard to newer chemical classes of fire smoke retardant and occupational exposure pathways. Evidence-based PAH exposure assessments are critical for determining exposure-dose relationships in large epidemiological studies of occupational risk factors.
More Related Videos
11:38High Content Screening Analysis to Evaluate the Toxicological Effects of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents HPHC
Published on: May 10, 2016
09:33Visualizing Field Data Collection Procedures of Exposure and Biomarker Assessments for the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial in India
Published on: December 23, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
Relative Risk