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“We have always known we have been exposed to harmful toxins through our work, but there has never been any evidence to say that this is actually what we are being exposed to,” said Matschke. “The motivation was to try and get some clear evidence of what we are being exposed to and how we are being exposed.”

Armed with provincial funding, Matschke contacted the University of Ottawa to see if someone there could do such research.

The result is a groundbreaking study showing, among other things, that Ottawa firefighters had from three to more than five times the amount of toxic chemicals in their urine after a fire compared to before a fire. And, crucially, the study suggests the chemicals entered their bodies mainly through skin contact. Matschke was named co-author of the study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Wednesday.

Jennifer Keir, senior author of the study, said firefighters know well the risks of their exposure to chemicals, such as the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons researchers studied.

“Many of them know the alarming cancer rates (among firefighters) and know someone who has had cancer. It is a pretty common story in the fire service.”

The study, said Jules Blais, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Ottawa and research team leader, is among the first to look at the absorption of toxics chemicals by firefighters during real emergency situations. Its findings, based on urine samples and skin swabs from Ottawa firefighters between January 2015 and April 2016, suggest that a major pathway for those toxins is through the skin.