Biomonitoring in California firefighters: metals and perfluorinated chemicals.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess California firefighters' blood concentrations of selected chemicals and compare with a representative US population. METHODS: We report laboratory methods and analytic results for cadmium, lead, mercury, and manganese in whole blood and 12 serum perfluorinated chemicals in a sample of 101 Southern California firefighters. RESULTS: Firefighters' blood metal concentrations were all similar to or lower than the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) values, except for six participants whose mercury concentrations (range 9.79 to 13.42 µg/L) were close to or higher than the NHANES reporting threshold of 10 µg/L. Perfluorodecanoic acid concentrations were elevated compared with NHANES and other firefighter studies. CONCLUSIONS: Perfluorodecanoic acid concentrations were three times higher in this firefighter group than in NHANES adult males. Firefighters may have unidentified sources of occupational exposure to perfluorinated chemicals.