Urinary Metabolites of Polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbons in Firefighters: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors

Jooyeon Hwang
Chao Xu
Paul Grunsted
Robert J Agnew
Tara R Malone
Shari Clifton
Krista Thompson
Xin Xu

Publication Date

7-11-2022

Journal

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Abstract

Firefighters are intermittently exposed to complex, mixed pollutants in random settings. Of those pollutants, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are the most commonly studied and best understood. PAH exposure can occur via multiple routes; therefore, the levels of hydroxylated metabolites of PAHs in urine have been used as a biomonitoring tool for risk assessment. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to estimate the levels of urinary hydroxylated PAH (OHPAH) among firefighters, determine risk attributions, and, finally, evaluate the scope of preventive efforts and their utility as diagnostic tools. The meta-regression confirmed increases in OHPAH concentrations after fire activities by up to 1.71-times (p-values:

Keywords

Air Pollutants, Occupational, Environmental Monitoring, Firefighters, Humans, Occupational Exposure, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons