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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 increases in hospital and emergency admissions for cardiovascular disorders in the general population. However, knowledge about the cardiovascular effect of occupational WFS exposure among wildland firefighters is limited. To provide a better understanding of the effect of this exposure scenario on acute hemodynamic responses, 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) immediately following prescribed burn shifts (burn days) and regular work shifts (non-burn days). A total of 38 firefighters (34 males and 4 females) participated in this study and resting BP and HR were recorded on 9 burn days and 7 non-burn days. On burn days, HR significantly increased from pre-to post-shift (13.25 bpm, 95% CI: 7.47 to 19.02 bpm) while SBP significantly decreased in the morning following the prescribed burns compared to pre-shift (−6.25 mmHg, 95% CI: −12.30 to −0.20 mmHg). However, this was due to the decrease of SBP in the firefighters who were hypertensive (−8.46 mmHg, 95% CI: −16.08 to −0.84 mmHg). Significant cross-shift reductions (post-shift/next morning vs. pre-shift) were observed in SBP on burn days compared to non-burn days (−7.01 mmHg, 95% CI: −10.94 to −3.09 mmHg and −8.64 mmHg, 95% CI: −13.81 to −3.47 mmHg, respectively). A significant reduction on burn days was also observed from pre-shift to the following morning for HR compared to non-burn days (−7.28 bpm, 95% CI: −13.50 to −1.06 bpm) while HR significantly increased in pre-to post-shift on burn days compared to non-burn days (10.61 bpm, 95% CI: 5.05 to 16.17 bpm). The decreased BP observed in wildland firefighters might be due to a high level of carbon monoxide exposure and exercise-induced hypotension. The increase in HR immediately after prescribed burns might be attributable to WFS exposure and physical exertion in prescribed burn shifts. The results suggest that wildland firefighting exposure might cause a distinct hemodynamic response, including SBP reduction and HR increment, especially for those who have pre-existing hypertension.
Chieh-Ming Wu; Olorunfemi Adetona; Chi Song. Acute cardiovascular responses of wildland firefighters to working at prescribed burn. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 2021, 237, 113827 .
AMA StyleChieh-Ming Wu, Olorunfemi Adetona, Chi Song. Acute cardiovascular responses of wildland firefighters to working at prescribed burn. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 2021; 237 ():113827.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChieh-Ming Wu; Olorunfemi Adetona; Chi Song. 2021. "Acute cardiovascular responses of wildland firefighters to working at prescribed burn." International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 237, no. : 113827.
Wildland firefighters are repeatedly exposed to elevated levels of wildland fire smoke (WFS) while protecting lives and properties from wildland fires. Studies reporting personal exposure concentrations of air pollutants in WFS during fire suppression or prescribed burn activities have been geographically limited to the western and southeastern United States. The objective of this study is to characterize exposure concentrations of air pollutants in WFS emissions among wildland firefighters who conducted prescribed burns in the Midwest. Between 2016 and 2019, a total of 35 firefighters (31 males and 4 females, age of 35.63 ± 9.31 years) were recruited to participate in this study. Personal particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) exposure concentrations were measured during prescribed burns. The level of black carbon (BC) in WFS particulates was determined using the light transmission technique, while trace metal composition was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed geometric means for PM2.5, CO, and BC concentrations were 1.43 ± 0.13 mg/m3, 7.02 ± 0.69 ppm, and 58.79 ± 5.46 μg/m3, respectively. Although no occupational exposure limits (OELs) were exceeded by 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposure concentration observed in the firefighters, a total of 28 personal CO exposure concentrations were above the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) Ceiling (200 ppm) for CO. PM2.5 and CO concentrations were about 2-7 times higher in the Midwest than the other regions. Firefighters who performed holding had higher CO exposure concentrations compared to firefighters who performed lighting (p < 0.01), while lighters were exposed to higher level of BC in the smoke particulates (p < 0.01), possibly due to the domination of exposure by different combustion sources and stages. The levels of trace metals in WFS particulates were well below the corresponding OELs and no task-related difference was observed except for manganese. Our results suggest that wildland firefighters in the midwestern region have higher WFS exposures while working at prescribed burns compared to those western and southeastern United States.
Chieh-Ming Wu; Chi (Chuck) Song; Ryan Chartier; Jacob Kremer; Luke Naeher; Olorunfemi Adetona. Characterization of occupational smoke exposure among wildland firefighters in the midwestern United States. Environmental Research 2020, 193, 110541 .
AMA StyleChieh-Ming Wu, Chi (Chuck) Song, Ryan Chartier, Jacob Kremer, Luke Naeher, Olorunfemi Adetona. Characterization of occupational smoke exposure among wildland firefighters in the midwestern United States. Environmental Research. 2020; 193 ():110541.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChieh-Ming Wu; Chi (Chuck) Song; Ryan Chartier; Jacob Kremer; Luke Naeher; Olorunfemi Adetona. 2020. "Characterization of occupational smoke exposure among wildland firefighters in the midwestern United States." Environmental Research 193, no. : 110541.
Objective Wildland firefighters (WLFFs) experience repeated exposures to wildland fire smoke (WFS). However, studies about WLFFs remain regionally limited. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of WFS exposure on urinary mutagenicity and cell oxidation among WLFFs who work at prescribed burns in the Midwestern USA. Methods A total of 120 spot urine samples was collected from 19 firefighters right before (pre-shift), immediately after (post-shift), and the morning (next-morning) following work shifts on prescribed burn days (burn days) and regular workdays (non-burn days). The levels of urinary mutagenicity, 8-isoprostane, malondialdehyde and oxidised guanine species (Ox-GS) were measured. Linear mixed-effect models were used to determine the difference of cross-shift changes in the concentrations of urinary biomarkers. Results Post-shift levels of creatinine-corrected urinary mutagenicity and 8-isoprostane were non-significantly higher than pre-shift levels (1.16× and 1.64×; p=0.09 and 0.07) on burn days. Creatinine-corrected Ox-GS levels increased significantly in next-morning samples following WFS exposure (1.62×, p=0.03). A significant difference in cross-shift changes between burn and non-burn days was observed in 8-isoprostane (2.64×, p=0.03) and Ox-GS (3.00×, p=0.02). WLFFs who contained the fire (performed holding tasks) had a higher pre-morning to next-morning change in urinary mutagenicity compared with those who were lighting fires during the prescribed burns (1.56×, p=0.03). Conclusions Compared with the other regions, WLFFs who worked in Midwestern forests had an elevated urinary mutagenicity and systemic oxidative changes associated with WFS exposure at prescribed burns.
Chieh-Ming Wu; Sarah H Warren; David M DeMarini; Chi (Chuck) Song; Olorunfemi Adetona. Urinary mutagenicity and oxidative status of wildland firefighters working at prescribed burns in a Midwestern US forest. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2020, 78, 315 -322.
AMA StyleChieh-Ming Wu, Sarah H Warren, David M DeMarini, Chi (Chuck) Song, Olorunfemi Adetona. Urinary mutagenicity and oxidative status of wildland firefighters working at prescribed burns in a Midwestern US forest. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2020; 78 (5):315-322.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChieh-Ming Wu; Sarah H Warren; David M DeMarini; Chi (Chuck) Song; Olorunfemi Adetona. 2020. "Urinary mutagenicity and oxidative status of wildland firefighters working at prescribed burns in a Midwestern US forest." Occupational and Environmental Medicine 78, no. 5: 315-322.
The Health Opportunity Index (HOI) is a multivariate tool that can be more efficiently used to identify and understand the interplay of complex social determinants of health (SDH) at the census tract level that influences the ability to achieve optimal health. The derivation of the HOI utilizes the data-reduction technique of principal component analysis to determine the impact of SDH on optimal health at lower census geographies. In the midst of persistent health disparities and the present COVID-19 pandemic, we demonstrate the potential utility of using 13-input variables to derive a composite metric of health (HOI) score as a means to assist in the identification of the most vulnerable communities during the current pandemic. Using GIS mapping technology, health opportunity indices were layered by counties in Ohio to highlight differences by census tract. Collectively we demonstrate that our HOI framework, principal component analysis and convergence analysis methodology coalesce to provide results supporting the utility of this framework in the three largest counties in Ohio: Franklin (Columbus), Cuyahoga (Cleveland), and Hamilton (Cincinnati). The results in this study identified census tracts that were also synonymous with communities that were at risk for disparate COVID-19 related health outcomes. In this regard, convergence analyses facilitated identification of census tracts where different disparate health outcomes co-exist at the worst levels. Our results suggest that effective use of the HOI composite score and subcomponent scores to identify specific SDH can guide mitigation/intervention practices, thus creating the potential for better targeting of mitigation and intervention strategies for vulnerable communities, such as during the current pandemic.
Chinonso N. Ogojiaku; Jc Allen; Rexford Anson-Dwamena; Kierra S. Barnett; Olorunfemi Adetona; Wansoo Im; Darryl B. Hood. The Health Opportunity Index: Understanding the Input to Disparate Health Outcomes in Vulnerable and High-Risk Census Tracts. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 5767 .
AMA StyleChinonso N. Ogojiaku, Jc Allen, Rexford Anson-Dwamena, Kierra S. Barnett, Olorunfemi Adetona, Wansoo Im, Darryl B. Hood. The Health Opportunity Index: Understanding the Input to Disparate Health Outcomes in Vulnerable and High-Risk Census Tracts. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (16):5767.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChinonso N. Ogojiaku; Jc Allen; Rexford Anson-Dwamena; Kierra S. Barnett; Olorunfemi Adetona; Wansoo Im; Darryl B. Hood. 2020. "The Health Opportunity Index: Understanding the Input to Disparate Health Outcomes in Vulnerable and High-Risk Census Tracts." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 16: 5767.
The aim of this study is to comprehensively investigate radionuclide concentrations in surface soil and un-decayed vegetative litter along four stream systems (i.e. Fourmile Branch, Lower Three Runs, Pen Branch, and Steel Creek) at the Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, South Carolina. Soil and litter samples from systematically spaced 12 pairs (contaminated or uncontaminated) of plots along the four streams were analyzed for 16 distinct radionuclide activities. Lower radionuclide concentrations were observed in soil and litter samples collected along Pen Branch compared to the other 3 streams. The anthropogenic radionuclide with the highest activity was 137Cs in soil (10.6–916.9 Bq/kg) and litter (8.0–222.3 Bq/kg), while the naturally occurring radionuclides possessing the highest concentration in the samples were 40K (33.5–153.7 Bq/kg and 23.1–56.0 Bq/kg in soil and litter respectively) and 226Ra (55.6–159.9 Bq/kg and 30.2–101.8 Bq/kg in soil and litter respectively). A significant difference (p < 0.05) of radionuclide concentrations between paired-plots across four streams was observed for 241Am, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239Pu, and 226Ra in both contaminated and non-contaminated samples. 137Cs and uranium isotopes had the highest litter-to-soil correlation in contaminated (rho = 0.70) and uncontaminated plots (rho = 0.31–0.41), respectively. 90Sr was the only radionuclide with higher radioactive concentrations in litter (12.65–37.56 Bq/kg) compared to soil (1.61–4.79 Bq/kg). The result indicates that 1) historical discharges of anthropogenic 137Cs was the most important contributor of radiation contamination in the riparian environment at SRS, 2) 90Sr was the only radionuclide with higher concentration in litter than in soil, and 3) no apparent pattern in deposition density in soil or litter along downstream was observed for the radionuclides measured in this study.
Chieh-Ming Wu; Olorunfemi Adetona; Luke Naeher; Brian J. Viner; Tim Jannik; Allan Hepworth; Eric Doman; Teresa Eddy. Radionuclide distribution in soil and undecayed vegetative litter samples in a riparian system at the Savannah River Site, SC. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 2018, 192, 604 -620.
AMA StyleChieh-Ming Wu, Olorunfemi Adetona, Luke Naeher, Brian J. Viner, Tim Jannik, Allan Hepworth, Eric Doman, Teresa Eddy. Radionuclide distribution in soil and undecayed vegetative litter samples in a riparian system at the Savannah River Site, SC. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 2018; 192 ():604-620.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChieh-Ming Wu; Olorunfemi Adetona; Luke Naeher; Brian J. Viner; Tim Jannik; Allan Hepworth; Eric Doman; Teresa Eddy. 2018. "Radionuclide distribution in soil and undecayed vegetative litter samples in a riparian system at the Savannah River Site, SC." Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 192, no. : 604-620.
Airborne particulate matter (PM) exposure remains the leading environmental risk factor for disease globally. Interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of PM are required, since there is no discernible threshold for its effects, and exposure reduction approaches are limited. The mitigation of PM (specifically diesel exhaust particles (DEP))-induced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) and vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) after 24 and 48 h of exposure by pre-treatment with individual pure, combined pure, and an oil formulation of two fish oil omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were all tested at an equivalent concentration of 100 µM in vitro in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The PUFAs and fish oil formulation completely mitigated or diminished the DEP-induced release of IL-6, IL-8, and ET-1 by 14–78%. DHA was more effective in reducing the levels of the DEP-induced release of the cytokines, especially IL-6 after 48 h of DEP exposure in comparison to EPA (p < 0.05), whereas EPA seemed to be more potent in reducing ET-1 levels. The potential of fish ω-3 PUFAs to mitigate PM-induced inflammation and vasoactivity was demonstrated by this study.
Jaya Sriram; Olorunfemi Adetona; Tonya Orchard; Chieh-Ming Wu; James Odei. Mitigation of Particulate Matter-Induced Inflammation and Vasoactivity in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018, 15, 2293 .
AMA StyleJaya Sriram, Olorunfemi Adetona, Tonya Orchard, Chieh-Ming Wu, James Odei. Mitigation of Particulate Matter-Induced Inflammation and Vasoactivity in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15 (10):2293.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJaya Sriram; Olorunfemi Adetona; Tonya Orchard; Chieh-Ming Wu; James Odei. 2018. "Mitigation of Particulate Matter-Induced Inflammation and Vasoactivity in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 10: 2293.
Cooking with dirty-burning fuels is associated with health risk from household air pollution. We assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with the use of cooking fuels, and attitudes and barriers towards use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This was a cross-sectional, population-based survey conducted in 519 households in Lagos, Nigeria. We used a structured questionnaire to obtain information regarding choice of household cooking fuel and the attitudes towards the use of LPG. Kerosene was the most frequently used cooking fuel (n = 475, 91.5%; primary use n = 364, 70.1%) followed by charcoal (n = 159, 30.6%; primary use n = 88, 17%) and LPG (n = 86, 16.6%; primary use n = 63, 12.1%). Higher level of education, higher income and younger age were associated with LPG vs. kerosene use. Fuel expenditure on LPG was significantly lower than for kerosene (N (Naira) 2169.0 ± 1507.0 vs. N2581.6 ± 1407.5). Over 90% of non-LPG users were willing to switch to LPG but cited safety issues and high cost as potential barriers to switching. Our findings suggest that misinformation and beliefs regarding benefits, safety and cost of LPG are important barriers to LPG use. An educational intervention program could be a cost-effective approach to improve LPG adoption and should be formally addressed through a well-designed community-based intervention study.
Obianuju B. Ozoh; Tochi J. Okwor; Olorunfemi Adetona; Ayesha O. Akinkugbe; Casmir E. Amadi; Christopher Esezobor; Olufunke O. Adeyeye; Oluwafemi Ojo; Vivian N. Nwude; Kevin Mortimer. Cooking Fuels in Lagos, Nigeria: Factors Associated with Household Choice of Kerosene or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018, 15, 641 .
AMA StyleObianuju B. Ozoh, Tochi J. Okwor, Olorunfemi Adetona, Ayesha O. Akinkugbe, Casmir E. Amadi, Christopher Esezobor, Olufunke O. Adeyeye, Oluwafemi Ojo, Vivian N. Nwude, Kevin Mortimer. Cooking Fuels in Lagos, Nigeria: Factors Associated with Household Choice of Kerosene or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15 (4):641.
Chicago/Turabian StyleObianuju B. Ozoh; Tochi J. Okwor; Olorunfemi Adetona; Ayesha O. Akinkugbe; Casmir E. Amadi; Christopher Esezobor; Olufunke O. Adeyeye; Oluwafemi Ojo; Vivian N. Nwude; Kevin Mortimer. 2018. "Cooking Fuels in Lagos, Nigeria: Factors Associated with Household Choice of Kerosene or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 4: 641.