Impact of acute exposure to air pollution on the cardiorespiratory performance of military firemen

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of acute short-term exposure to air pollution on the cardiorespiratory performance of military fireman living and working in the city of Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil. Twenty-five healthy non-smoking firemen aged 24 to 45 years had about 1 h of exposure to low and high levels of air pollution. The tests consisted of two phases: phase A, in Bertioga, a town with low levels of air pollution, and phase B, in Cubatão, a polluted town, with a 7-day interval between phases. The volunteers remained in the cities (Bertioga/Cubatão) only for the time required to perform the tests. Cumulative load 10 ± 2 min-long exertion tests were performed on a treadmill, consisting of a 2-min stage at a load of 7 km/ h, followed by increasing exertion of 1 km h -1 min -1 until the maximum individual limit. There were statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in anaerobic threshold (AT) between Cubatão (35.04 ± 4.91 mL kg -1 min -1 ) and Bertioga (36.98 ± 5.62 mL kg -1 min -1 ; P = 0.01), in the heart rate at AT (AT HR ; Cubatão 152.08 ± 14.86 bpm, Bertioga 157.44 ± 13.64 bpm; P = 0.001), and in percent maximal oxygen consumption at AT (AT%VO 2max ; Cubatão 64.56 ± 6.55%, Bertioga 67.40 ± 5.35%; P = 0.03). However, there were no differences in VO 2max , maximal heart rate or velocity at AT (AT vel ) observed in firemen between towns. The acute exposure to pollutants in Cubatão, SP, caused a significant reduction in the performance at submaximal levels of physical exertion. Correspondence

Inhaled whole exhaust and its effect on exercise performance and vascular function

“…In the aforementioned study by Oliveira et al (2006), firefighters performed exertion tests in low and high air pollution ambient environments and found no differences in maximal performance, but did observe decreased submaximal performance in the high pollution environment. The authors suggested that the results were due to diminished oxygen transport resulting from increased levels of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), though CO levels were not provided.…”

“…For instance, the 1 st and 11 th place finishers in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2008 Olympics, an event similar in duration to the maximal exercise bouts used in the present study, were separated by less than 2.87%. Submaximal performance has also been shown to be decreased after HPM exposure (Oliveira et al, 2006), therefore, we suspect that aerobic events of greater duration which rely heavily on aerobic metabolism are most likely affected by changes in the pulmonary and systemic vasculature. Marr and Ely (2010) found that PM 10 was associated with impaired marathon performance for women but not men.…”

Higher fine particulate matter and temperature levels impair exercise capacity in cardiac patients

“…Controlled particulate pollution exposures during exercise tests have shown to reduce workload among small studies enrolling young men 11. In healthy young individuals, lower VT18 and VO 2peak 12 have been observed while exercising in locations with higher pollution. Particulate exposure during or before exercise has been associated with ST-segment changes,19 autonomic imbalance20 and increased exercise BP21 in cardiac patients; however, we are not aware of any prior study of directly measured aerobic outcomes.…”

Comfort and exertion while using filtering facepiece respirators with exhalation valve and an active venting system among male military personnel

“…(19,20) In addition, deployment in areas with high levels of air pollution at baseline can also impair the cardiorespiratory performance of personnel. (21) While respiratory protection can be achieved via engineering and administrative controls, this may not always be possible. Thus, the usage of appropriate FFRs as PPE is important to protect personnel from the effects of particulates, either from occupational exposure or due to deployment to areas with significant air pollution.…”