Experimental Study of Toxic Chemicals Diffusion through Firefighters’ Suit Ensembles

The chemical protection behavior of firefighters’ multi-layer ensembles was investigated on a laboratory scale. The swatches cut from three new ensembles and one ‘retired’ suit, were exposed to a fire effluent produced in a small-scale setup. The transfer of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carboxylic acids and esters was monitored via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The performance of each ensemble against elevated temperatures and acidic vapors was also observed. The results revealed that bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a probable human carcinogen with endocrine system disruption effects, moved across the layers of all studied ensembles. Toluene, naphthalene and its derivatives, long-chain aliphatic acids and/or esters were found to be transferred through samples of a ‘retired’ suit and two new ensembles. All studied ensembles prevented the diffusion of larger PAHs such as pyrene, benzo(α)pyrene and phenanthrene. A fluorinated compound, detected once when testing a new ensemble with PFAS finish on its membrane, did not move across the layers of this swatch. All studied samples provided acceptable levels of thermal protection as the temperature remained below 30±0.1°C. Out of four ensembles, only the swatch of a ‘retired’ suit enabled the permeation of acidic vapors as the pH measured on its both sides was found to be 2.5±0.1.