Firefighter Soot, Sauna, and Sweat Excretion Pilot Study

The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether sauna use after active-duty firefighting is effective in reducing exposure to certain harmful chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are found in soot and several types are known to be carcinogens. This study is a cross-sectional pilot study that will be performed in active-duty firefighters. The firefighters will be subdivided into those who will use a sauna immediately after fighting a fire versus those who will not, the latter of which will serve as a metabolism control group. There will thus be two comparison groups within the study: 1) active-duty firefighters using a sauna after fire suppression (sauna group); 2) active-duty firefighters not using a sauna after fire suppression (metabolism control).