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Devido à natureza das atividades exercidas pelos bombeiros, esta ocupação é física e psicologicamente exigente e classificada como possivelmente cancerígena para o Homem pela Agência Internacional para a Investigação sobre o Cancro (IARC). O grupo dos hidrocarbonetos aromáticos policíclicos (PAH) é dos mais estudados no que toca ao impacto na saúde humana dos poluentes libertados durante incêndios rurais, sendo que a exposição a estes compostos ocorre também fora deste ambiente, pois são ubíquos. A presente tese teve como principal objetivo avaliar a exposição ocupacional dos bombeiros a PAH em ambiente de quartel e após o combate a incêndios rurais. Assim, foi monitorizado o ar pessoal em ambiente de quartel de bombeiros pertencentes a 3 corporações do nordeste de Portugal: Bragança (BRG), Vinhais (VNH) e Alfândega da Fé (AFF) e quantificados 18 PAH na fase particulada (PM2,5). Foram ainda determinados 6 metabolitos hidroxilados de PAH (OH-PAH) em amostras de urina dos mesmos bombeiros recolhidas em ambiente de quartel e de alguns destes após combater um incêndio rural. A quantificação foi realizada através da cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com deteção por fluorescência e fotodíodos em série. A concentração total de PAH (ΣPAH) na fração PM2,5 foi de 26,7 ng/m3 em BRG, 26,4 ng/m3 em AFF e 72,1 ng/m3 em VNH. O acenafteno foi o PAH mais abundante nas 3 corporações (43% a 58%) e os PAH com 2 a 3 anéis aromáticos foram os predominantes (69% a 71%). VNH foi a corporação com maior concentração total de PAH carcinogénicos (11,9 ng/m3 ) e onde os bombeiros apresentaram um maior risco de desenvolver cancro ao longo da vida, estando o valor máximo estimado (1,91×10-6 ) dentro dos limites propostos pela Agência de Proteção Ambiental Americana. Nas urinas, a concentração total de OH-PAH (ΣOH-PAH) variou entre 18,3 µmol/molcrt (VNH) e 30,7 µmol/molcrt (BRG), verificando-se tendências diferentes das observadas no ar. O 1-hidroxinaftaleno e 1-hidroxiacenafteno constituíram 99% do total de OH-PAH. A concentração ΣOH-PAH em bombeiros expostos (84,4 µmol/molcrt) foi 3,4 vezes superior à dos bombeiros não expostos, sendo que todos estes apresentaram níveis superiores de ΣOH-PAH após exposição ao incêndio, pelo que as emissões de incêndios rurais contribuíram de forma significativa (84% a 1098%) para a exposição de bombeiros a PAH.
Due to the nature of the activities performed by firefighters, this occupation is physically and psychologically demanding and classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is one of the most studied concerning the impact of pollutants released during wildfires on human health. Furthermore, exposure to these compounds also occurs outside this environment since they are ubiquitous. The present study had the main objective of assessing the occupational exposure of firefighters to PAH in firehouses and after wildfire firefighting activities. Thus, the personal air of firefighters from 3 firehouses located in the northeast of Portugal: Bragança (BRG), Vinhais (VNH) and Alfândega da Fé (AFF) was monitored during a regular work shift in the firehouse and 18 PAH in the particulate phase (PM2,5) were quantified. In addition, 6 hydroxylated metabolites of PAH (OH-PAH) were measured in post-work shift urine samples of the characterized subjects, and in some of these firefighters after participating in wildfire combat activities. The quantification was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and photodiode array detector in series. The total PAH (ΣPAH) concentration was 26,7 ng/m3 in BRG, 26,4 ng/m3 in AFF and 72,1 ng/m3 in VNH. Acenaphthene was the most abundant PAH in all firehouses (43% to 58%) and PAH with 2 to 3 aromatic rings were the most predominant (69% to 71%). VNH was the firehouse with the highest concentration of total carcinogenic PAH (11,9 ng/m3 ) and where firefighters faced a higher lifetime risk of developing cancer during their life, with the maximum value estimated (1,91×10-6 ) being within the guidelines proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In urine, the concentration of total OH-PAH (ΣOH-PAH) varied between 18,3 µmol/molcrt (VNH) and 30,7 µmol/molcrt (BRG) displaying different trends from those observed in the personal air samples. 1-hydroxynaphthalene and 1-hydroxyacenaphthene represented 99% of the ΣOH-PAH. The ΣOH-PAH concentration in exposed firefighters (84,4 µmol/molcrt) was 3,4 times higher than that of non-exposed firefighters; all of them showed higher levels of ΣOH-PAH after wildfire exposure. Thus, the emissions from wildfires contributed significantly (84% to 1098%) to firefighters’ exposure to PAH.
Due to the nature of the activities performed by firefighters, this occupation is physically and psychologically demanding and classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is one of the most studied concerning the impact of pollutants released during wildfires on human health. Furthermore, exposure to these compounds also occurs outside this environment since they are ubiquitous. The present study had the main objective of assessing the occupational exposure of firefighters to PAH in firehouses and after wildfire firefighting activities. Thus, the personal air of firefighters from 3 firehouses located in the northeast of Portugal: Bragança (BRG), Vinhais (VNH) and Alfândega da Fé (AFF) was monitored during a regular work shift in the firehouse and 18 PAH in the particulate phase (PM2,5) were quantified. In addition, 6 hydroxylated metabolites of PAH (OH-PAH) were measured in post-work shift urine samples of the characterized subjects, and in some of these firefighters after participating in wildfire combat activities. The quantification was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and photodiode array detector in series. The total PAH (ΣPAH) concentration was 26,7 ng/m3 in BRG, 26,4 ng/m3 in AFF and 72,1 ng/m3 in VNH. Acenaphthene was the most abundant PAH in all firehouses (43% to 58%) and PAH with 2 to 3 aromatic rings were the most predominant (69% to 71%). VNH was the firehouse with the highest concentration of total carcinogenic PAH (11,9 ng/m3 ) and where firefighters faced a higher lifetime risk of developing cancer during their life, with the maximum value estimated (1,91×10-6 ) being within the guidelines proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In urine, the concentration of total OH-PAH (ΣOH-PAH) varied between 18,3 µmol/molcrt (VNH) and 30,7 µmol/molcrt (BRG) displaying different trends from those observed in the personal air samples. 1-hydroxynaphthalene and 1-hydroxyacenaphthene represented 99% of the ΣOH-PAH. The ΣOH-PAH concentration in exposed firefighters (84,4 µmol/molcrt) was 3,4 times higher than that of non-exposed firefighters; all of them showed higher levels of ΣOH-PAH after wildfire exposure. Thus, the emissions from wildfires contributed significantly (84% to 1098%) to firefighters’ exposure to PAH.
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Keywords
Bombeiros Saúde ocupacional Hidrocarbonetos aromáticos policíclicos Incêndios rurais Biomarcadores de exposição Firefighters Occupational health Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Wildfires Biomarkers of exposure