Considerations

• Exposure to these substances can cause both short-term and long-term damage to the lungs of a firefighter.
  
  

Acute Effects

• IAFF reports that harmful chemicals can cause short-term acute effects such as hypoxemia due to smoking inhalation, a decrease in overall lung function, and a decrease in airway responsiveness.
  
  

Chronic Effects

• The chronic respiratory effects of firefighting are not yet completely clear. According to the IAFF, studies have shown that inhaling smoke can lead to chronic bronchitis and abnormal lung function.
  
  

Asbestos-related Illnesses

• According to lungcancerfact.com, if firefighters breathe in asbestos dust when fighting fires in older homes that contain building materials made of asbestos, they can be at risk of developing the lung disorders asbestosis and mesothelioma.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Firefighters can protect themselves from lung diseases by taking baseline pulmonary function tests, training to understand which environments are dangerous, avoiding smoking cigarettes, and using the most advanced firefighting respiratory equipment.