- Author
- Anthony, T. R.
- Title
- Fire Overhaul Characterization and Exposure Assessment.
- Coporate
- Arizona Univ.
- Report
- NIST SP 1051; NIST Special Publication 1051, December 2007,
- Book or Conf
- Real-Time Particulate Monitoring: Detecting Respiratory Threats for First Responders. Workshop Proceedings. Appendix 3: Workshop Presentations. Appendix 3.C. May 3-4, 2007, Gaithersburg, MD, 38-43 p., 2007
- Keywords
- first responders | respiratory systems | health hazards | fire fighters | contamination | exposure | particulates | polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | environmental effects | cardiac effects | free radicals | carbon monoxide | irriants
- Abstract
- Effects of various contamir:ants found in overhaul environments are presented along with a comparison of reported overhaul exposures with short term exposure limits. Particulates may be classified as PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), some of which are carcinogenic, and PNOR (particulates not otherwise regulated), for which size is an important factor. Monitoring methods for particulates include pump-filter and direct-reading monitors. Environmental studies correlate cardiovascular disease and fine particulates. Monitoring free radicals is a new effort to find a measurement that indicates levels of many contaminants, since CO is not a good predictor. PAHs are expensive to analyze and difficult to analyze when sampling from fires. The irritant index, which includes the respirable mass of particulates along with gas concentrations of HCHO (formaldehyde) and acrolein, is a possible way to quantify multiple exposures. Measurements indicate that the irritant index is much greater than unity during fire overhaul. In a respirator cartridge breakthrough test, other materials such as metals were found riding on the particulates.