Emission of Brominated Flame-Retarding Compounds from Polymeric Textile Materials Used in Firefighter Protective Garment During Thermal Exposure

Firefighters wear bunker gear for protection against thermal hazards during firefighting. Bunker gear are fabricated from superior-performance fibers and enhanced by chemical flame retardants to increase fire resistance. However, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are widely used, have been associated with health and environmental toxicity risks. Despite the concerns, toxic BFRs continue to find application in consumer products, including in firefighter bunker gear. This study investigated the possibility of volatilization of BFRs from firefighter bunker gear during thermal exposure. Five different bunker gear samples were subjected to 3–8 kW/m2 thermal conditions in a cone calorimeter, and polyurethane foam disks were used to capture the volatilizing effluents. The samples were analyzed for brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) congeners (-28, -47, -99, -100, -154, and -209) using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. BDE-28, -47, and -99 were detected in all five samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.1 ng/g, 0.03 to 0.34 ng/g and 0.18 to 0.86 ng/g, respectively. BDE-100 and -154 were detected in 80% and -209 was below the limit of detection. BDE-99 was the most abundant congener detected, followed by BDE-47. The results confirm the volatilization of BFRs from bunker gear during firefighting, which can expose firefighters to toxic flame retardants.