Association between oxidative DNA damage and PAH exposure in Brazilian wildland firefighters

Wildland firefighting involves hazardous exposure to smoke containing carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), often with inadequate respiratory protection. Although PAH exposure is known, its association with early biological effects remains poorly understood, hindering effective risk management. This study delineated PAH exposure and investigated its association with oxidative DNA damage in Brazilian wildland firefighters. In this cross-sectional study, 84 male Brazilian firefighters were divided into exposed (operational, n = 42) and rarely exposed (administrative, n = 42) groups. Questionnaires were used to collect relevant data. We quantified urinary PAH metabolites (OH-PAH) and the DNA damage biomarker 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) by mass spectrometry. The exposed group had significantly higher urinary total OH-PAHs (6.6 times) and 8-OHdG (3.3 times). The median 1-hydroxypyrene level was 15 times higher than the ACGIH biological exposure index. A strong positive correlation was found between the total PAHs body burden (ΣOH-PAHs) and oxidative DNA damage (8-OHdG) (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). This study presents the pioneering biomonitoring analysis of this risk in Brazilian wildland firefighters, providing significant data from tropical wildfires, one of the biomes most impacted on a global scale. Our findings reveal the alarming severity of exposure and validate 8-OHdG as a relevant biomarker of effect with implications for this profession. These results emphasize the need to implement improved safety standards and personal protective equipment to mitigate significant health risks in this workforce.