Title: | Wildland smoke exposure values and exhaled breath indicators in firefighters |
Author(s): | Miranda AI; Martins V; Cascao P; Amorim JH; Valente J; Borrego C; Ferreira AJ; Cordeiro CR; Viegas DX; Ottmar R; |
Address: | "CESAM & Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. miranda@ua.pt" |
Journal Title: | J Toxicol Environ Health A |
DOI: | 10.1080/15287394.2012.690686 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1528-7394 (Print) 0098-4108 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Smoke from forest fires contains significant amounts of gaseous and particulate pollutants. Firefighters exposed to wildland fire smoke can suffer from several acute and chronic adverse health effects. Consequently, exposure data are of vital importance for the establishment of cause/effect relationships between exposure to smoke and firefighter health effects. The aims of this study were to (1) characterize the relationship between wildland smoke exposure and medical parameters and (2) identify health effects pertinent to wildland forest fire smoke exposure. In this study, firefighter exposure levels of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) were measured in wildfires during three fire seasons in Portugal. Personal monitoring devices were used to measure exposure. Firefighters were also tested for exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and CO before and after their firefighting activities. Data indicated that exposure levels during firefighting activities were beyond limits recommended by the Occupational Exposure Standard (OES) values. Medical tests conducted on the firefighters also indicated a considerable effect on measured medical parameters, with a significant increase in CO and decrease in NO in exhaled air of majority of the firefighters" |
Keywords: | Adult Biomarkers/analysis Breath Tests Carbon Monoxide/administration & dosage/adverse effects/analysis *Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring *Firefighters *Fires Humans Inhalation Exposure Nitric Oxide/analysis Nitrogen Dioxide/administration; |
Notes: | "MedlineMiranda, Ana Isabel Martins, Vera Cascao, Pedro Amorim, Jorge Humberto Valente, Joana Borrego, Carlos Ferreira, Antonio Jorge Cordeiro, Carlos Robalo Viegas, Domingos Xavier Ottmar, Roger eng Multicenter Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2012/07/14 J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2012; 75(13-15):831-43. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2012.690686" |