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Projeto de investigação
PM and PAHS from forest fires: impacts on air quality and occupational risks assessment
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Occupational exposure of firefighters to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in non-fire work environments
Publication . Oliveira, Marta; Slezakova, Klara; Fernandes, Adília; Teixeira, João Paulo Fernandes; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Pereira, Maria do Carmo; Morais, Simone
This work aims to characterize personal exposure of firefighters to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in non-fire work environments (fire stations), and assesses the respective risks. Eighteen PAHs (16 considered by USEPA as priority pollutants, dibenzo[a,l] pyrene and benzo[j] fluoranthene) were monitored in breathing zones of workers at five Portuguese fire stations during a normal shift. The obtained levels of PAHs fulfilled all existent occupational exposure limits as well as air quality guidelines with total concentrations (Sigma PAHs) in range of 46.8-155 ng m(-3). Light compounds (2-3 rings) were the most predominant congeners (74-96% of Sigma PAHs) whereas PAHs with 5-6 rings accounted 3-9% of Sigma PAHs. Fuel and biomass combustions, vehicular traffic emissions, and use of lubricant oils were identified as the main sources of PAHs exposure at the studied fire corporations. Incremental lifetime cancer risks were below the recommend USEPA guideline of 10(-6) and thus negligible for all the studied subjects, but WHO health-based guideline level of 10(-5) was exceeded (9-44 times) at all fire corporations. These results thus show that even during non-fire situations firefighters are exposed to PAHs at levels that may promote some adverse health outcomes; therefore the respective occupational exposures to these compounds should be carefully controlled. (C) 2017
Biomonitoring of firefighters occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during the 2014 hot season
Publication . Oliveira, Mónica; Slezakova, Klara; Fernandes, Adília; Vaz, Josiana A.; Teixeira, João Paulo Fernandes; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Pereira, Maria do Carmo; Morais, Simone
Human biomonitoring is an important tool in environmental
medicine that is used to assess the level of internal exposure to
environmental pollutants. Firefighters are one of the most exposed
and least studied occupations. During fire suppression, firefighters are
heavily exposed to a wide range of chemicals.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous
environmental pollutants that are considered as the largest known
group of carcinogens due to their cytotoxic and mutagenic properties
(IARC 2010, WHO 2013). Smoke and ashes released during a fire
are important sources of PAHs. Firefighters can be also exposed to
PAHs through smoking, via polluted ambient air, water, soil, and
through consumption of food.
Metabolites of PAHs (OH-PAHs), such as 1-hydroxynaphthalene
(1OHNapt), 1-hydroxyacenaphthene(1OHAce), 1-hydroxypyrene
(1OHPy) and 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3OHB[a]P) have been used
as biological markers for measurements of human internal exposure
to PAHs.
The present work aims to quantify the urinary metabolites of PAHs,
namely 1OHNapt, 1OHAce, 1OHPy and 3OHB[a]P in study
population of firefighters. Firemen exposed to fires that occurred
during 2014 season were asked to fill a post-fire questionnaire and to
collect urinary samples. A control study population group was selected
to collect samples of urines during the pre-fires season (winter).
Among all participating firemen only healthy no-smoking subjects
were considered. OH-PAHs were analysed by high-performance liquid
chromatography with fluorescence detection
Firefighters's occupational exposure to PM2.5 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Publication . Oliveira, Beatriz; Slezakova, Klara; Pereira, Maria do Carmo; Fernandes, Adília; Vaz, Josiana A.; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Morais, Simone
This study collected the personal PM2.5 air fraction in fifteen healthy and no-smoking firefighters during their normal shift inside four Portuguese fire stations. Indoor PM2.5 levels varied between 0.05 to 1.04 µg/m3. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known for their ubiquity and toxicity, being some of them classified as carcinogenic and possible carcinogens to humans. Firefighters’ personal PM2.5-bound total PAH concentrations ranged between 35.8 to 294 ng/m3 with total carcinogenic PAHs accounting with 12% to the total PAHs. Benzo[a]pyrene, the PAH biomarker of carcinogenicity, was detected in levels ranging from 6.74 × 10-2 to 1.00 ng/m3
Background concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metabolites in Portuguese firemen
Publication . Oliveira, Mónica; Slezakova, Klara; Fernandes, Adília; Vaz, Josiana A.; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Pereira, Maria do Carmo; Morais, Simone
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants
produced by the incomplete combustion of organic materials. PAHs may pose risks
to human health as many of the individual compounds are cytotoxic and mutagenic
to both lower and higher organisms, being some of them regarded as carcinogenic.
Pyrene is by far the most characterized PAH in all sample matrices, and is classified
as PAH marker of exposure while benzo(a)pyrene is considered the biomarker of
carcinogenic exposure to PAHs. Among the 16 PAHs established by US EPA as priority
pollutants, naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, and phenanthrene are also found
in almost all the matrices.
Workers from industrial settings where airborne PAH levels are high such as coke
works and the primary aluminium industry, show excess rates of cancers. Firemen
are also exposed to high concentrations of PAHs during firefighting; however their
biomonitoring is difficult and epidemiological studies are scarce. During the last
decade, the urinary 1-hydroxypyrene has been used as a biomarker of environmental
and occupational exposure to PAHs. Still no standard reference or occupational
guidelines are available for any urinary PAH metabolite.
Within the present work, sixty healthy and no smoking Portuguese firemen
from ten Portuguese corporations from the district of Bragança (North of Portugal)
were evaluated regarding their levels of the most important urinary hydroxyl-
PAHs:
Espresso coffee residues: a valuable source of unextracted compounds
Publication . Cruz, Rebeca; Cardoso, Maria M.; Fernandes, Luana; Oliveira, Marta; Mendes, Eulália; Baptista, Paula; Morais, Simone; Casal, Susana
Espresso spent coffee grounds were chemically characterized to predict their potential, as a source of bioactive compounds,
by comparison with the ones from the soluble coffee industry. Sampling included a total of 50 samples from 14 trademarks, collected in
several coffee shops and prepared with distinct coffee machines. A high compositional variability was verified, particularly with regard to
such water-soluble components as caffeine, total chlorogenic acids (CGA), and minerals, supported by strong positive correlations with
total soluble solids retained. This is a direct consequence of the reduced extraction efficiency during espresso coffee preparation, leaving a
significant pool of bioactivity retained in the extracted grounds. Besides the lipid (12.5%) and nitrogen (2.3%) contents, similar to those
of industrial coffee residues, the CGA content (478.9 mg/100 g), for its antioxidant capacity, and its caffeine content (452.6 mg/100 g),
due to its extensive use in the food and pharmaceutical industries, justify the selective assembly of this residue for subsequent use.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
SFRH
Número da atribuição
SFRH/BD/80113/2011