Occupational Exposure of Firefighters in Non-fire Settings

Abstract

This work assessed firefighters exposure to particulate matter (PM) in non-fire work settings during pre-fire season, as a baseline for the respective occupational exposure characterization. Indoor and outdoor air sampling was conducted for two weeks in pre-fire season of 2021 in seven fire corporations (FC1-FC7) in north of Portugal. PM fractions (PM2.5, PM10) were continuously monitored concurrently in indoors (living rooms, rest areas, truck bays) and outdoors. The results showed low levels of pollution. Indoor PM10 was between 2 and 205 g m3 (mean 10 g m3); PM2.5 were 2115 g m3 (8.5 g m3). Both indoor PM fractions were highly and significantly correlated (rs = 0.9590.997). PM2.5 accounted for 85% of indoor PM; indoor to outdoor ratios (I/O) of PM2.5 ranged between 1.4 and 3.0, thus emphasizing the contribution of indoor emission sources for fine fraction. Outdoor PM10 were 26 times higher than indoors (6894 g m3; mean 21 g m3); and 29 times higher for PM2.5 (5 169 g m3; 5 g m3). Outdoor PM were moderately correlated (rs = 0.584 0.878), most likely due to meteorological conditions. Coarse particles contributed the majority of ambient PM10 and accounted for 79%. (c) 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.