Exposure of wildland firefighters to carbon monoxide, fine particles, and levoglucosan.

Wildland firefighters are occupationally exposed to elevated levels of woodsmoke. Eighteen wildland firefighters were monitored for their personal exposure to particulate matter with median aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5), levoglucosan (LG), and carbon monoxide (CO) at 30 prescribed burns at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. Linear mixed effect models were used to investigate the effect on exposure of various factors and to examine whether the firefighters were able to qualitatively estimate their own exposures. Exposure to PM2.5 and CO was higher when firefighters performed 'holding' tasks compared with 'lighting' duties, whereas exposures to CO and LG were higher when burns were in compartments with predominantly pine vegetation (P < 0.05). Exposures to PM2.5 (64-2068 µg m(-3)) and CO (0.02-8.2 p.p.m.) fell within the ranges observed in previous studies. Some recommended shorter term exposure limits for CO were exceeded in a few instances. The very low LG:PM2.5 ratios in some samples suggest that the exposures of wildland firefighters to pollutants at prescribed burns may be substantially impacted by non-woodsmoke sources. The association of the qualitative exposure estimation of the firefighters with actual PM2.5 and CO measurements (P < 0.01) indicates that qualitative estimation may be used to assess exposure in epidemiology studies.

Daytime sleepiness among Midwestern firefighters.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the most common symptom of sleep-disorders. Although high levels of EDS have been reported among firefighters, there is a limited understanding on EDS in firefighters. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in full-time firefighters (n = 275). The survey included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to assess EDS, as well as other questions related to job characteristics, health history, and demographics. Firefighters reported inadequate sleep hours, extremely short sleep latencies, and high EDS higher than the general population. A majority of firefighters indicated a willingness to consult with a sleep professional. Risk factors associated with EDS included at least five years of professional experiences and depression diagnosis. Our findings suggest that EDS is widespread among firefighters. With increasing time on the job, frequencies of both obesity and EDS increase, which can have severe and compounding effects on health and safety.

Wildland firefighters and suicide risk: Examining the role of social disconnectedness.

Recent research has indicated that firefighters are at elevated suicide risk. Fire service organizations have called for research to examine fire service subgroups that might be at relatively increased suicide risk. Although anecdotal reports suggest that wildland firefighters represent one such group, to our knowledge, no study has empirically examined this conjecture. Thus, the present investigation examined if wildland firefighters report greater levels of suicide risk than non-wildland firefighters. Moreover, we sought to determine if two constructs proposed by the interpersonal theory of suicide to comprise suicidal desire-thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness-statistically explain the link between wildland firefighter status and suicide risk. Merged data from two nationwide investigations of firefighter mental health were utilized (N = 1,131; 68.2% male, 89.4% White). A total of 1.8% (n = 20) of the sample identified as wildland firefighters. Compared to non-wildland firefighters, wildland firefighters reported greater levels of suicide risk. Thwarted belongingness, but not perceived burdensomeness, statistically explained this link. Findings suggest that programs enhancing social connectedness within the fire service, particularly among wildland firefighters, might be one avenue for suicide prevention among firefighters. Results of this novel investigation should be interpreted in light of the relatively small subgroup of wildland firefighters.

Queimadas e saúde pública no Estado do Tocantins

Trata o tema queimadas no estado do Tocantins quanto seus impactos aos danos ambientais e à saúde pública no estado. Diferencia termos queima, queimadas, incêndio florestal. A saúde pública da população é afetada com a poluição ambiental provocada por queimadas. Trata dados estatísticos desses impactos no setor saúde e vigilância ambiental bem como a alteração ao meio ambiente e ao impacto na saúde. Trata dos instrumentos de alerta e das atividades de educação em saúde para combate aos agravos provocados pelos problemas respiratórios causados pelas queimadas, bem como a situação a junção de infecções respiratórias agudas e da COVID. Debatedores: 1. Lusy Almeida - Bióloga, especialista em Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental e coordenadora de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental - Vigilância Sanitária (SMS/Palmas) 2. Cléber José Borges Sobrinho - Gestor de Emergências e doutorando em Ciências Ambientais, Comandante Operacional do Corpo de Bombeiros Militar do Estado do Tocantins 3. Silene Miranda Lima - Engenheira Ambiental, responsável pela Vigilância em Saúde de Populações Expostas a Poluentes Atmosféricos no Estado do Tocantins / Secretaria de Estado da Saúde Moderadora: Adriane Valadares - Bióloga e conselheira do Conselho Regional de Biologia 4ª região Objetivos: - Discutir sobre a importância do efeito das queimadas na saúde pública; - Mobilizar a população, profissionais de saúde, educação, meio ambiente, dentre outros; - Orientar sobre medidas preventivas para combater o fogo e proteger a saúde. Iniciativa: ETSUS Apoio: CRBio 04 e ATOBio