Firefighters' toxic exposures based can vary depending upon the structure of the fire- in example a residential building fire may have a wide range of volatile organic compounds, such as 2-methylhippuric acid (2MHA), 3-methylhippuric acid (3MHA), 4-methylhippuric acid (4MHA), N-acetyl phenyl cysteine (NAP), 1-brompropane, propylene oxide, 1,3-butadiene, acrylonitrile, ethylene oxide, and 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid, whereas an industrial building or forest fire may have different toxic exposures.
Examples of Volatile Organic Compounds in Households
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Additionally, firefighters' gear may expose firefighters to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which act as water repellants and degreasers, among other physiochemical properties.
For more information, see linked content.
Health Risk Implications of Volatile Organic Compounds in Wildfire Smoke During the 2019 FIREX‐AQ Campaign and Beyond
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9393878/
Firefighters Fear Toxic Chemicals in Their Gear Could be Contributing to Cancer Cases
https://apnews.com/article/firefighters-cancer-pfas-turnout-gear-chemicals-868e4eb6af158e7a34fb229c2dd79ebf
