title: Application of real-time particle sensors to help mitigate exposures of wildland firefighters.
abstract: High particulate exposures have been demonstrated to decrease lung function among firefighters. In this article, the authors demonstrated the feasibility of using small real-time particle sensors to inform wildland firefighters so they may make informed decisions on the use of personal respiratory protection. Using 1 mg/m3 as an indicator point for use of appropriately designed respiratory protection, such sensors could help prevent 16% to 74% of particulate exposure during prescribed burns when firefighters assess exposure as low or medium. Adherence to such a guideline for the use of respiratory protection would involve its deployment during 3% to 22% of individual 8-hour shifts. In addition, data-logging sensors would provide a valuable tool for tracking exposure to particulates among wildland firefighters for occupational health monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Science and Policy, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7070, USA. edwardsr@uci.edu
authors.forename: Rufus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Kevin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Luke P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Naeher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004391:Dust; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D004391:Dust