Firefighters' Occupational Exposure in Preparation for Wildfire Season: Addressing Biological Impact.

ABSTRACT: The characterization of wildland firefighters' occupational exposure must consider different exposures, including those at the fire station. The present study aimed to characterize the occupational exposure of 172 Northern Portuguese wildland firefighters in fire stations during the pre-wildfire season of 2021. The biological impact of estimated inhaled doses of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 (indoor/outdoor) was accessed through a buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay in exfoliated buccal cells of a subgroup of 80 firefighters. No significant association was found between estimated inhaled doses of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 (mean 1.73 ± 0.43 µg kg^-1 and 0.53 ± 0.21 µg kg^-1, respectively) and biological endpoints. However, increased frequencies of

SUBMITTER: Esteves F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10974005 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature