AVALIAÇÃO DO RISCO PARA A SAÚDE DE BOMBEIROS EXPOSTOS AO FUMO DA QUEIMA DE LENHA E CARVÃO DURANTE INCÊNDIOS FLORESTAIS

Abstract

In recent years, forest fires have become an inherent concern for Brazilian public administrations, since the smoke generated has an important impact on the health of exposed populations. Firefighters are constantly exposed to particulate matter and various chemicals released during wildfires or urban fires, including increased levels of heavy metals after the fire occurs. Although the risks of this exposure are known and verifiable in professionals exposed in the medium and long term, a better understanding of the levels of exposure to the various types of heavy metals and metalloids is needed. Given the above, the objective of this study was to estimate the concentrations of toxic metals to which firefighters are exposed in the fight against forest and structural fires. For this study, the routes of skin exposure, inhalation and ingestion of eucalyptus wood (Eucalyptus citriodora), mutamba wood (Guazuma ulmifolia), angico wood (Anadenanthera falcata), firewood of Eucalyptus chemically treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA), charcoal of (Eucalyptus citriodora) and charcoal of (Guazuma ulmifolia) quantified in the raw muscle of bovine beef topside and pork loin roasted under controlled conditions. The concentrations of metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) and metalloids (As) were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP OES) after microwave digestion. In addition, we assessed the risk associated with elemental exposure through smoke using the hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), total hazard index (HIt) and carcinogenic risk (CR); All samples had results for HQ, HI and HI < 1, indicating a non-potential health risk. However, the carcinogenic risks posed by As and Cr via the three exposure pathways (except for inhalation exposure to children and adults, and by Cr via ingestion and inhalation for children and adults) exceeded the standard threshold. In conclusion, continuous exposure of firefighters or children to smoke from fires containing high concentrations of heavy metals such as As and Cr can be harmful to health. The study used animal tissues, thus, new methods must be developed to quantify the concentration of heavy metals deposited in human tissue when humans are exposed to smoke from fires.