Welcome to the Marquette County
Firefighters Home Page

HAZ MAT

Posted 1/11/03

***Carcinogens Every Fire Fighter Can Expect to Encounter

Asbestos

1. Where Found: Houses built between 1950-1967, hot insulation, pile logging, gasket materials, transit pipe.

2. Description: White or gray material.  Be especially careful of loose, "cotton candy" type coverings on metal beams.

3. Protection: Dust mask; asbestos can be carried home on clothes, and the hazard may spread and be persistent.

4. Target sites/Diseases: Lungs: -mesothelioma: cancer of the linings; Asbestosis: scaring of the lung tissue.

Arsenic

1. Where Found: Common wood preservative. green wash or very old white paint prior to 1940.

2. Description: Green or yellow tinted exterior or rough finished wood.  This is very common.

3. Protection: Dust mask if no fire.  If fire, respirator.  Remember arsenic is a poison!  An acute exposure could lead to serious and quick illness.

4. Target sites/Diseases: Skin rash/ulcer; liver, blood, kidney, nervous system injuries.

Benzene

1. Where Found: 2% to 1% of gasoline is benzene; it might be encountered in petroleum refining.

2. Description: A characteristic component of smoke.

3. Protection: Respirator

4. Target sites/Diseases: Mucous membrane irritant, nervous system depressant; leukemia

Cadmium

1. Where Found: Silver soldering solders, ceramic dyes (yellow powders), common industrial-plating and hardening.

2. Description: Clear plating cyanide solution.  There are many cadmium-plated metals in common use.  A refrigerator shelf grill used as a barbecue grill may result in a cadmium exposure.

3. Protection: Respirator.  A flame is hot enough to cause some cadmium fumes.

4. Target sites/Diseases: Irritant of the lung, mucous membrane; emphysema may result from chronic exposure; anemia.

Chlorophenols

1. Where Found: Used as wood preservative; fence poles, telephone poles.   There is some evidence pentachlor in a fire will produce dioxin, TCDF.

2. Description: White, needle-like crystalson surface.  Look for old, not rotted wood.  Wood preservative solution labeled pentachlor.

3. Protection: Avoid skin contact.  Smoke may be more toxic than the base material.  Respirator.

4. Target sites/Diseases: Leukemia

Chromium

1. Where Found: Red and yellow paint and filler pigments for plastic and plating chemicals.

2. Description: Brightly colored yellow, green or red powders usually in paper bags, orange to brown-red liquids in plating establishments.

3. Protection: Avoid skin contact.  Respirator.  Wash skin and clothing with soap and water after getting any on you!

4. Target sites/Diseases: Cancer of the Lungs, nasal lining, sinuses; chrome ulcer; persistent skin ulcer due to delayed washing.

Ethylene Oxide

1. Where Found: Sterilizing solution used in hospitals; common.  Usually found as pressurized container of gas.

2. Description: Heat explosion in hospital fire, or containers in transit.

3. Protection: Respirator.

4. Target sites/Diseases: Irritant to eyes, mucous membranes and lungs.

Formaldehyde

1. Where Found: Common in overhaul smoke: found in mortuaries and schools.  There may be very high levels in the smoke of buildings with blown insulation or pressed board, during a fire.  Lower levels in these buildings even without a fire.

2. Description: Clear gas or liquid; strong, unpleasant odor.

3. Protection: Respirator,

4. Target sites/ Diseases: Irritant to the eyes, mucous membranes, lungs, skin, suspected carcinogen.

Orthotoluidine

1. Where Found: Red pigment in paint or plastic filler; can be found in 50 lb. paper sacks; a common material.

2. Description: Red, powdery pigment.

3. Protection: Avoid skin contact; Respirator.

4. Target sites/Diseases: Liver, kidney damage; bladder.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB's)

1. Where Found: Transformer oils, vault and electrical pole fires, fluorescent light ballast explosions (older ballasts) still common, smoke may be more toxic than PCB oil.  PCB's in high concentration will burn to TCDF.

2. Description: Oils around electrical equipment, non flammable.  Look for red warning sticker.  A green sticker indicates a lower level of potential exposure (less than 50 ppm of oil).

3. Protection: Respirator; protective clothing.

4. Target sites/Diseases: skin, melanoma.

Vinyl Chloride

1. Where found: A characteristic component of smoke where a decreasing operation is involved.

2. Description: Colorless liquid or gas; slightly sweet odor

3. Protection: Respirator

4. Target sites/Diseases: Cancer of the liver.

*** This Data is from "The Detroit Fire Fighter" Vol.70 * Number 12 * December 2002, Detroit Fire Fighters Association - Local 344