Firefighter Soot, Sauna, and Sweat Excretion Pilot Study

NCT05256966 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: A19-131
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 86
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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).

Conditions

Cancer

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change of PAHs present in sweat

  This study aims to demonstrate that sauna use immediately after active-duty firefighting will result in a change of PAH biomarkers measurable in sweat.

  Through study completion, when 90 matched samples have been collected

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in PAHs present in urine

  Through study completion, when 90 matched samples have been collected

Study Arms (2)

Sauna

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Firefighters/participants based at the station with an existing sauna will be allocated to the intervention arm/sauna group. They will include a sauna session, as per study protocol, which is the intervention.

Other: Sauna (steam)

Non Sauna

NO INTERVENTION

Firefighters/participants based at the stations without a sauna will be allocated to the control arm/Non sauna group. They will not sauna, as per study protocol, as to not receive the study intervention.

Interventions

Sauna (steam) OTHER

Steam Sauna

Sauna

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Willingness to collect urine samples before, during, and/or after work shift
• Willingness to refrain from eating barbecued or smoked foods during the duration of the study
• Willingness to use a sauna after active fire suppression and to collect sweat samples at that time

You may not qualify if:

• Declined participation in the study
• Unwilling or do not agree to complete all data collection components of the study
• Limited from active-duty firefighting (regardless of reason)
• Medical conditions precluding the use of a sauna
• Pregnancy (as sauna use is contraindicated in pregnancy)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• HealthPartners Institute: lead
• Minnesota Department of Health: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

HealthPartners Institute

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55403, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms

Interventions

Steam Bath; Steam

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Balneology; Therapeutics; Hyperthermia, Induced; Water; Hydroxides; Alkalies; Inorganic Chemicals; Anions; Ions; Electrolytes; Oxides; Oxygen Compounds; Ecological and Environmental Phenomena; Biological Phenomena; Environment; Environment and Public Health

Study Officials

• Zeke McKinney, MD

  HealthPartners Institute

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2022
• First Posted: February 25, 2022
• Study Start: November 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: May 30, 2024
• Study Completion: May 30, 2024
• Last Updated: July 15, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)