Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Sparer, Sorensen); Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Sparer, Sorensen); Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mr Prendergast, Mr Apell); MetroWest Medical Center, Framingham, Massacusetts (Bartzak); Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Bartzak, Drs Wagner, Adamkiewicz, Hart); Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Hart).
J Occup Environ Med. 2017 Oct;59(10):1017-1023. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001114.
Firefighters are at an increased risk for many types of cancer. Although most studies on this topic focus on exposures encountered while fighting fires, exposures at the fire station are also cause for concern. This pilot study aimed to describe air quality within a few fire stations in and around Boston, Massachusetts, and to investigate physical and organizational factors that may influence levels of contaminants in stations.
Air sampling of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was completed at four fire stations in Spring, 2016. Sampling occurred in the kitchen, truck bay, and just outside the station. Data were analyzed to assess differences between and within stations. Interviews (n =7) were conducted with officers at each station to explore health and safety-related organizational policies and practices. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for thematic content.
At each station, levels of contaminants were higher in the truck bays than either the outdoors or kitchen, and varied the most throughout the day. The station with the highest exposures in the truck bay had the lowest levels in the kitchen, which was possibly explained by new building materials and effective separation between building zones. The age and layout of the stations appeared to determine the extent to which policies favoring exhaust capture were implemented.
Levels of PM2.5 and PAH inside fire stations may contribute to firefighter cancer risk. Through understanding contaminant variability, we can begin to design and test interventions that improve cancer prevention.
消防员罹患多种癌症的风险较高。尽管大多数关于该主题的研究都集中在灭火过程中所接触的暴露物上，但消防站的暴露物也值得关注。这项试点研究旨在描述马萨诸塞州波士顿及其周边地区几个消防站内的空气质量，并研究可能影响站内污染物水平的物理和组织因素。
2016 年春季，在四个消防站进行了空气采样，以测量直径小于 2.5μm 的颗粒物（PM2.5）和颗粒状多环芳烃（PAHs）。采样点分别位于厨房、卡车车库和站外。对数据进行分析，以评估站间和站内的差异。对每个站的官员进行了访谈（n=7），以探讨与健康和安全相关的组织政策和做法。对访谈进行了转录和主题内容分析。
在每个消防站，卡车车库的污染物水平都高于户外或厨房，并且一天中变化最大。卡车车库暴露水平最高的站，厨房的暴露水平最低，这可能是由于新的建筑材料和建筑物区域之间的有效隔离。站的年龄和布局似乎决定了支持排气捕获的政策的实施程度。
消防站内部的 PM2.5 和 PAH 水平可能会增加消防员罹患癌症的风险。通过了解污染物的可变性，我们可以开始设计和测试改善癌症预防的干预措施。
