{"id":54270,"date":"2026-06-19T12:38:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T09:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tktk.ee\/uudised\/ppe-and-the-hidden-threat-of-combustion-products\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T13:20:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T10:20:16","slug":"ppe-and-the-hidden-threat-of-combustion-products","status":"publish","type":"uudised","link":"https:\/\/www.tktk.ee\/en\/news\/ppe-and-the-hidden-threat-of-combustion-products\/","title":{"rendered":"PPE and the hidden threat of combustion products"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every shift, firefighters enter environments laced with a complex cocktail of toxic combustion products \u2014 PAHs, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and more. Their suits protect against heat and flame. But do they protect against the chemicals?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fourth ECPC 2027 webinar PPE and Protection Against the Ingress of Combustion<\/em>, hosted by TTK University of Applied Sciences, confronted that question directly, with findings from the Czech FirePro project presented by Kamila Lunerova<\/strong> and Jakub Van\u011bk<\/strong> from National Institute for NBC Protection<\/strong>, Czech Republic.

The webinar is part of a series leading up to the European Conference of Protective Clothing (ECPC2027)<\/a>, which will take place at TTK University of Applied Sciences in May 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The toxic cocktail firefighters face<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combustion products vary dramatically with what burns. Vegetation fires produce carbon monoxide, VOCs, and PAHs. Modern building fires \u2014 plastics, foams, composites \u2014 generate far more dangerous mixtures: hydrogen cyanide, isocyanates, dioxins, and more. Evidence links firefighting exposures to DNA damage, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruptions, all associated with cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project team used polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as model contaminants \u2014 the EPA’s group of 16 compounds, from naphthalene (2 rings) to the highly carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (5 rings) \u2014 abundant, measurable, and representative of the broader chemical threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do the chemicals get in?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with the Technical University of Ostrava, the team sampled firefighters during a real training fire in a plastic-filled interior space. Passive samplers were placed on the garment, in pockets, and on skin under the suit. PAHs were detected under the suit and on skin after interventions as short as 10\u201315 minutes. The moisture barrier proved especially problematic \u2014 acting as a chemical reservoir that slowly releases contaminants toward the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A toxicology chamber test using yellow indicator underwear \u2014 which turns pink on contact with model gas \u2014 mapped precisely where ingress occurs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n