Browsing by Author "Teixeira, Tatiana"
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- Firefighters occupational exposure assessment: a systematic literature reviewPublication . Teixeira, Tatiana; Dias, Isabel; Santos, Joana; Bustos, Denisse; Guedes, J.C.Over the years, the evolution of forest fires has occurred as a result of the evolution of the human species. However, forest fires are still a major challenge for society, placing firefighters with greater occupational exposure. The present study has as main objective to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the main techniques and variables for assessing the occupational exposure of firefighters, during the fight against forest fires. The systematic review utilised The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statementmethodology. This methodology was applied in the Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed and Academic Search Complete databases with different keywords. The review will include articles written in English only. In the present study, 34 articles were included, in which it was found that exposure to smoking is the most studied variable, and it was in 2019 that a greater evolution of studies in this area of research was observed. Regarding the variables, the studies were organised in groups. Here it is possible to check the different variables selected by the authors and the methods and equipment applied.Discussion: The fact that firefighters carry out their tasks in diverse scenarios and extreme conditions has hindered the application of innovative equipment. It is necessary to combine different variables and equipment for the assessment of occupational exposure. However, it is not always possible to develop this type of equipment in order to be inserted from the user's perspective, from the perspective of the environment, where it will be applied, and from an economic perspective, making it difficult to effectively apply it in the field. As future perspectives, it is recommended that new variables are introduced together, in order to improve the assessment of occupational exposure, namely, through the use of carbon monoxide (CO) and lactate assessment.
- Occupational chemical exposure and health status of wildland firefighters at the firefront: A systematic reviewPublication . Teixeira, Tatiana; Almeida, Liliana; Dias, Isabel; Baptista, João Santos; Santos, Joana; Vaz, Mário; Guedes, JoanaWildland firefighting represents a physically and mentally demanding endeavour fraught with various risk factors. The primary aim of this study is to delineate occupational chemical exposure within the firefighting work environment on the firefront and its implications for firefighters’ health status. A systematic literature review was conducted utilising diverse keyword combinations across Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and ScienceDirect databases. Only English-language journal articles, real-world monitoring reports, and studies featuring samples of firefighters were considered for inclusion. Forty-one studies were analysed, with 26 focusing on firefighters’ occupational exposure to chemical agents during wildland firefighting and 15 addressing the health impairments of wildland firefighting activities. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), VOCs, and particulates emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents in the exposure profiles of frontline firefighters. They were shown to be the main incidents of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and work-related cancer. The rigorous demands of wildland firefighting have been demonstrated to significantly impact firefighter health, resulting in a notable prevalence of fatalities and illnesses. Given that an elevated number of health issues are common in this occupation, adopting advanced assessment technologies is imperative.
- Physical demand assessment of volunteer firefighters during wildland firefightingPublication . Teixeira, Tatiana; Pratas, Pedro; Santos, Joana; Monteiro, Pedro R.; Baptista, João Santos; Vaz, Mário A. P.; Guedes, Joana C.Wildland firefighting is physically and mentally demanding. The aerobic capacity of firefighters is important due to the demands of the activity and the associated occupational risks. The main objectives of this study were to identify and characterise the physically demanding tasks undertaken by volunteer firefighters during wildland fires (real work conditions). A total of 125 firefighters replied to a survey about sociodemographic, biometric data, and work fitness assessment. A group of 23 was evaluated in a physical stress test using a VO2peak protocol to determine maximum oxygen consumption and ventilatory thresholds. The physical demands and physiological responses were collected during the operations at the firefront (n = 21). The results revealed that wildland firefighting entails physical demands that exceed established reference values, with maximum oxygen uptake exceeding 40%. The cardiovascular strain is particularly notable in tasks performed near the firefront, reflecting fatigue. The physical and cardiac demands associated with forest fire fighting have been demonstrated to contribute to occupational illnesses with prolonged exposure. This study underscores the imperative for interventions to enhance the identification and real-time monitoring of physiological parameters to enhance firefighters' overall health and well-being.