Smoke Exposure at Western Wildfires

Download or read book Smoke Exposure at Western Wildfires written by Timothy E. Reinhardt and published by Diane Publishing Company. This book was released on 2000 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Smoke exposure measurements among firefighters at wildfires showed that between 3 & 5% of the shift-average exposures exceeded occupational exposure limits (OEL) for carbon monoxide (CM) & respiratory irritants. Among workers involved in direct attack of actively burning areas & maintaining fireline boundaries, peak exposure situations could be several times greater than recommended OEL for short-term exposures. Exposure to acrolein, benzene, formaldehyde, & respirable particulate matter could be predicted from measurements of carbon monoxide. Electrochemical dosimeters for CM were the best tool for routinely assessing smoke exposure. Tables.