Investigation of Toxic Chemicals Transfer Through Clothing Layers of Fire Suits (InToxFire)
The increasingly adverse impact of toxic fire products on fire-fighters’ health and wellbeing are of a world-wide concern. The occurrence of cancer among the fire-fighters is alarmingly high in both developed and developing countries. Although fire and rescue services follow strict regulations regarding the decontamination of fire suits after the fire-fighting, this approach only seems to tackle toxicants from the fire effluent that adhered to the surfaces of the outer clothing. Unfortunately, the ability of the toxic products to permeate and get transferred through the layers of fire suits towards the skin of first responders during firefighting has not been investigated adequately.
The knowledge of the nature of the transferred toxicants and, most importantly, determining their quantities are of paramount importance for fire-fighters, manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing, regulators, health and safety specialists who are seeking robust and long term-solutions to the problems of repeated exposure to toxic combustion products.
A Path to Safer Fire-Fighter Clothing
The InToxFire project will investigate whether elements of fire-fighters clothing allow the transport of toxic chemicals, present in the fire effluent, towards the skin. The project will also determine the nature and concentration levels of toxic chemicals on both sides of the clothing layers.
The use of developed analytical methods, heat transfer and advanced computational models will fully quantify the transport of toxic chemicals through the layers of fire-fighters’ coats. The data generated through this project will assist in the necessary changes of the current design of fire-fighters’ suits to protect fire and rescue personnel from toxicological impacts of the constituents of fire effluent.
The generated evidence base will contribute to safer working conditions of fire-fighters, thus improving health and well-being of first responders.
Funding
Funded by UL Research Institutes (USA), InToxFire is a 3-year project that will improve our knowledge about toxic chemicals from fires moving through layers of fire suits.