Underställ räddar liv - Forskningsstudie visar att rätt underställ är viktigt

Other conference contribution, 2023

Firefighters show an elevated risk of developing certain forms of cancer due to exposure to hazardous substances in the fire smoke. In this context, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are of special concern. Penetration of PAHs through the protective garments leads to exposure by skin deposition.
Multiple tests of adsorptive protective clothing were carried out between 2019 and 2021 at the fire-fighting exercise facility at Guttasjön, to the south of Borås, Sweden. These tests were made on new, previously unused garments, and on garments that had been used up to twenty-four smoke diving events.
The new unused protective clothing, comprising a conventional standard outer garment and an adsorptive undergarment, showed a protection factor of about 3300 on average. When the same combination of standard outer garment and adsorptive undergarment had been used during twelve smoke diving events (a total of 300 minutes) the protection factor was reduced to 660. This means that the amount of polyaromatic hydrocarbons found under the garments (on the skin-side) was 1/660 (0,15%) of the amount found in the highly concentrated smoke on the outside of the clothing.