This study characterizes the constituents in particulate matter (PM) from wildland or forest fire smoke from different locations in order to understand their pollution-related risks. To understand air pollution-associated health issues for firefighters exposed to wildfire smoke, it is important to characterize and analyze the composition of the ambient air of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) in fire-impacted areas with analytical methods for ultra-trace levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as polar organics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals bound in particulate matters. We investigate the correlation between smoke constituents and toxicants known to impact human health with immediate exposure and exposure after containment of the fire. This includes reviewing the air quality monitoring data collected at the site of wildfires in order to understand the temporal trend for the dispersion of air pollutants and the deposition pathways of the pollutants resulting from the fires so that sound recommendations can be provided to firefighters to limit exposure during evacuation and resettlement activities.

This project also develops novel and efficient analytical methods for the determination of both polar and non-polar compounds simultaneously. Combined with traditional techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier Transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), we evaluate health-related chemical components in wildfire PM samples extensively.

Our research was presented during the NFPA 2022 Education Session ‘Evaluating Toxicant Exposures at the Wildland-Urban Interface.’ Please check the link on the left for details.

This study was supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (EMW-2018-FP-00668).

[1] Benefield, V.; Perna, S.; Pham, S.; Chong, N.; Li, Z.; Zhang, M.*, Evaluation of Mass Spectrometric Methods for Screening Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Particulate Phase of Wildfire/Biomass Smoke. Fire Technology, 2022, in press. Doi.org/10.1007/s10694-022-01327-x 

[2] Hwang, J.; Chong, N.; Zhang, M.; Agnew, R.J.; Xu, C.; Li, Z.; Xu, X., Face-to-face with scorching wildfire: potential toxicant exposure and the health risks of smoke for wildland firefighters at the wildland-urban interface. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 2023, 33, 100482. Doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2023.100482