Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Wildland firefighters at prescribed burns are exposed to elevated levels of wildland fire smoke (WFS) while performing physically demanding tasks. WFS exposure has been linked to increase in hospital/emergency admission for cardiovascular disorders in the general population. Working arduously in high heat-stress conditions also places a great demand on the cardiovascular system. However, knowledge about the cardiovascular effect of occupational WFS exposure during prescribed burns among wildland firefighters is relatively limited. METHODS: Between 2016 and 2019, a total of 38 wildland firefighters (34 males and 4 females, an average age of 35.63 ± 9.31 years and a firefighting career length of 9.08 ± 7.94 years) employed by the USFS–Wayne National Forest and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources–Division of Forestry participated in this study. Resting systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) and heart rate (HR) of wildland firefighters were measured before (pre-shift), after (post-shift), and the morning (next-morning) following prescribed burn shifts (burn days) and regular work shifts (non-burn days). RESULTS:On burn days, HR significantly increased from pre- to post-shift (p0.01) while SBP significantly decreased in the morning following the prescribed burns compared to pre-shift (p=0.04). However, this was due to the decrease of SBP in the firefighters who were hypertensive. Significant cross-shift reductions were observed in SBP on burn days compared to non-burn days (p0.01). A significant reduction on burn days was also observed from pre-shift to next-morning for HR compared to non-burn day (p=0.02) while HR significantly increased in pre- to post-shift on burn days compared to non-burn days (p0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Cross-shift changes in SBP and HR might be attributable to WFS exposure and physical exertion during the prescribed burns. The results suggest that wildland firefighting exposure might cause a distinct hemodynamic response, including SBP reduction and HR increment, especially for those who had pre-existing hypertension. KEYWORDS: Air pollution, Wildfires, Occupational exposures, Occupational epidemiology.
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