Development of a job-exposure matrix (JEM) for exposure to smoke particle mass among firefighters of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)

David G Goldfarb; David J Prezant; Rachel Zeig-Owens; Theresa Schwartz; Yang Liu; Ilias G Kavouras

doi:10.1136/oemed-2022-108549

Development of a job-exposure matrix (JEM) for exposure to smoke particle mass among firefighters of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)

Occup Environ Med. 2023 Feb;80(2):104-110. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108549. Epub 2023 Jan 12.

Authors

David G Goldfarb^{1

2

3}, David J Prezant², Rachel Zeig-Owens^{2

3

4}, Theresa Schwartz^{2

3}, Yang Liu², Ilias G Kavouras⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental, Occupational, and Geospatial Health Sciences, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, New York, USA david.goldfarb@fdny.nyc.gov.
² Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
³ Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental, Occupational, and Geospatial Health Sciences, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, New York, USA.

PMID: 36635097
DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108549

Abstract

Objectives: A refined job exposure matrix (JEM) based on incident types and severities and response characteristics was developed for firefighters to estimate quantities of smoke particles emitted during structural and non-structural fire incidents from 2010 to 2021.

Methods: The cohort included a subset of 3237 Fire Department of the City of New York firefighters who responded to at least one incident between 2010 and 2021, prior to retirement. Fire incident data included dates, type, severity (alarm level) and location. Response data included dates worked, firehouse, position titles and shift lengths for each firefighter. The quantity of smoke particle mass generated during structural and non-structural fires adjusted by individual firefighter engagement was computed using the United States Environmental Protection Agency AP-42 emissions framework. Correlations between years of employment, fire responses and career total particle mass concentration by firefighter were examined. Linear regression models were fit and corresponding R² values were calculated.

Results: Firefighters responded to a median of 424.7 (IQR=202.3-620.0) annual incidents/person; 17.6% were fire incidents (median=77.1; IQR=40.4-114.0). Structural fires were the most common type of fire incident (72.5% of annual incidents/person; median=55.9; IQR=29.6-85.5). Incident severity (alarm level) and firefighter engagement (position title) appeared to differentiate between high and low exposure regimes (R²=0.43). Incident severity explained most of the variability of particle exposures (R²=0.90).

Conclusions: Using the JEM, job-related smoke particle concentrations were estimated to vary by incident type, incident severity and firefighter engagement, highlighting the importance of using refined measures, so that future studies can more accurately evaluate associations between firefighting and health outcomes.

Keywords: Environmental Exposure; Firefighters; Occupational Health.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Firefighters*
Humans
New York / epidemiology
Occupational Exposure* / adverse effects
Occupations
Smoking
United States