Effects of Washing Conditions on PAH Removal Effectiveness in Firefighter Protective Clothing Materials

This study analyzes the effects of washing conditions on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content in firefighter protective clothing. The analysis involved specially prepared textile packages made of materials used in such clothing: an outer shell, a moisture barrier membrane, and a thermal insulation lining. Package samples were subjected to simulated exposure to a selected group of PAH compounds. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (UHPLC/FL) was applied to determine PAH content. The study showed that washing conditions (water temperature and the number of rinses) influenced the effectiveness of removal of chemical contaminants. The most favorable results were obtained for the washing process conducted at 60 °C with three rinse cycles, which resulted in the lowest concentration of total PAHs in the two examined types of textile packages (0.40 µg·g^-1 and 0.60 µg·g^-1 in the outer shell, 3.9 µg·g^-1 and 6.2 µg·g^-1 in the membrane, and 0.40 µg·g^-1 and 0.41 µg·g^-1 in the thermal lining of packages A and B, respectively). The higher washing temperature (60 °C) had a more favorable effect on average washing effectiveness as compared with the lower temperature (40 °C) in both the two- and three-rinse variants. The average washing effectiveness also varied according to the type of material and amounted to 70% and 54% for textile package types A and B, respectively.