The effect of smoke inhalation on lung function and airway responsiveness in wildland fire fighters

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · American Review of Respiratory Disease; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm/146.6.1469· OSTI ID:6994829

Liu, D; Tager, I B; Balmes, J R; Harrison, R J ^[1]

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1. VA Medical Center, Berkeley, CA (United States)

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of smoke on forced expiratory volumes and airway responsiveness in wildland fire fighters during a season of active fire fighting. Sixty-three seasonal and full-time wildland fire fighters from five U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDAFS) Hotshot crews in Northern California and Montana completed questionnaires, spirometry, and methacholine challenge testing before and after an active season of fire fighting in 1989. There were significant mean individual declines of 0.09, 0.15, and 0.44 L/s in postseason values of FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75, respectively, compared with preseason values. There were no consistent significant relationships between mean individual declines of the spirometric parameters and the covariates: sex, smoking history, history of asthma or allergies, years as a fire fighter, upper/lower respiratory symptoms, or membership in a particular Hotshot crew. There was a statistically significant increase in airway responsiveness when comparing preseason methacholine dose-response slopes (DRS) with postseason dose-response slopes (p = 0.02). The increase in airway responsiveness appeared to be greatest in fire fighters with a history of lower respiratory symptoms or asthma, but it was not related to smoking history. These data suggest that wildland fire fighting is associated with decreases in lung function and increases in airway responsiveness independent of a history of cigarette smoking. Our findings are consistent with the results of previous studies of municipal fire fighters.

• OSTI ID: 6994829
• Journal Information: American Review of Respiratory Disease; (United States), Journal Name: American Review of Respiratory Disease; (United States) Vol. 146:6; ISSN ARDSBL; ISSN 0003-0805
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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550500 -- Metabolism
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CALIFORNIA
COLLOIDS
DATA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FIRE FIGHTING
FIRES
INFORMATION
INHALATION
INTAKE
MONTANA
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
RESIDUES
RESPIRATION
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SMOKES
SOLS
USA