A screening-level assessment of the health risks of chronic smoke exposure for wildland firefighters

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
Thomas F BoozeRoger D Ottmar

Abstract

A screening health risk assessment was performed to assess the upper-bound risks of cancer and noncancer adverse health effects among wildland firefighters performing wildfire suppression and prescribed burn management. Of the hundreds of chemicals in wildland fire smoke, we identified 15 substances of potential concern from the standpoints of concentration and toxicology; these included aldehydes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, benzene, and respirable particulate matter. Data defining daily exposures to smoke at prescribed burns and wildfires, potential days of exposure in a year, and career lengths were used to estimate average and reasonable maximum career inhalation exposures to these substances. Of the 15 substances in smoke that were evaluated, only benzene and formaldehyde posed a cancer risk greater than 1 per million, while only acrolein and respirable particulate matter exposures resulted in hazard indices greater than 1.0. The estimated upper-bound cancer risks ranged from 1.4 to 220 excess cancers per million, and noncancer hazard indices ranged from 9 to 360, depending on the exposure group. These values only indicate the likelihood of adverse health effects, not whether they will or will not oc...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 15, 2007·The New England Journal of Medicine·Antonio Dueñas-LaitaMarta Ruiz-Mambrilla
Jan 8, 2008·Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part B, Critical Reviews·Klaus Golka, Wobbeke Weistenhöfer
Mar 1, 2012·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene·Marcy L McNamaraTony J Ward
Jan 10, 2013·Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health·K H DunnL P Naeher
Jan 23, 2016·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Erin O SemmensCurtis W Noonan
Dec 6, 2012·Annals of Epidemiology·Carla BrittonCorinne Peek-Asa
Nov 20, 2012·The American Journal of Emergency Medicine·Carla BrittonCorinne Peek-Asa
Feb 27, 2014·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene·Denise M GaughanMark D Hoover
Jul 3, 2016·Occupational Medicine·D C GlassM R Sim
Nov 19, 2014·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Hassani YoussoufIsabella Annesi-Maesano
Aug 2, 2017·American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology·Qing LuSharon Rounds
Sep 7, 2018·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Bridget PetersJohn C Quindry
May 2, 2007·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Yasuaki SaijoYoshihiro Hashimoto
Jan 15, 2019·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Robert H CokerBrent C Ruby
Nov 9, 2018·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene·Timothy E Reinhardt, George Broyles
Jun 29, 2011·Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part a·Patrícia Clara dos Santos CoelhoJoão Paulo Fernandes Teixeira
Feb 27, 2016·Inhalation Toxicology·Olorunfemi AdetonaLuke P Naeher
Sep 24, 2019·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene·Kathleen M NavarroS Katharine Hammond
May 4, 2021·Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health·Zachary ZeiglerLaura Verduzco
May 13, 2017·Environmental Science & Technology·Kathleen M NavarroS Katharine Hammond

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
infrared spectroscopy

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