34 documents found, page 1 of 4
Wildland firefighters: A crucial weapon for forest fire management: Which healt...
Esteves, F; Madureira, J; Teixeira, JP; Costa, SFire when uncontrolled can become a destructive force that risks wildlife, property, and human lives. Global warming has contributed to the increase and severity of wildfires in the last decades, requiring greater political and local authority involvement to protect people. Wildland firefighters are an essential tool for the management of any forest fire. However, they face unique occupational risks characteriz...
Pulmonary and Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in Small Ruminant Autochtho...
Pereira, MA; Vila-Viçosa, MJ; Coelho, C; Santos, C; Esteves, F; Cruz, R; Gomes, L; Henriques, D; Vala, H; Nóbrega, C; Mega, AC; Melo, C; Malva, MThe production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and identify risk factors. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds were collected per rectum and subjected to the modified Baermann t...
Baseline data and associations between urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromati...
Barros, B; Paiva, AM; Oliveira, M; Alves, S; Esteves, F; Fernandes, A; Vaz, J; Slezakova, K; Costa, S; Teixeira, JP; Morais, SIntroduction: Available literature has found an association between firefighting and pathologic pathways leading to cardiorespiratory diseases, which have been linked with exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are highlighted as priority pollutants by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative in occupational and non-occupational contexts. Methods: This cross-sectional study is the first to...
Biomonitoring of firefighters' exposure to priority pollutant metal(loid)s duri...
Paiva, AM; Barros, B; Azevedo, R; Oliveira, M; Alves, S; Esteves, F; Fernandes, A; Vaz, J; Alves, MJ; Slezakova, K; Pereira, MDC; Teixeira, JP; Costa, SWildland firefighters are exposed to metal(loid)s released during wildfires through vegetation combustion, which also promotes remobilization of accumulated anthropogenic metal(loid)s. Studies biomonitoring metal(loid)s exposure promoted exclusively by wildfire suppression activities are lacking. This work aimed to characterize, for the first time, the impact of real-life wildland firefighting operations on uri...
Cumulus cell DNA damage linked to fertilization success in females with an ovul...
Rodrigues, B; Sousa, V; Esteves, F; Vale-Fernandes, E; Costa, S; Sousa, D; Brandão, R; Leal, C; Pires, J; Gaivão, I; Teixeira, JP; Nogueira, AJAIntracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a widely used technique in fertility centers. ICSI success depends on both nuclear and cytoplasmic oocyte maturation. Cumulus cells, which surround the oocytes, play a pivotal role in oocyte competence. However, the significance of DNA damage in cumulus cells as a marker of fertilization success remains largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate the relationshi...
The Impact of Sleep on Haematological Parameters in Firefighters
Alves, S; Silva, F; Esteves, F; Costa, S; Slezakova, K; Alves, M; Pereira, M; Teixeira, J; Morais, S; Fernandes, A; Queiroga, F; Vaz, JSleep is a vital process that impacts biological functions such as cell renewal, bone regeneration, and immune system support. Disrupted sleep can interrupt erythropoiesis, leading to fewer red blood cells, reduced haemoglobin concentration, and decreased haematocrit levels, potentially contributing to haematological disorders. This is particularly concerning for shift workers for example firefighters. While pr...
Molecular evidence of sporadic Coxiella burnetii excretion in sheep milk, centr...
Pires, H; Santos-Silva, S; Cruz, AVS; Cardoso, L; Lopes, AP; Pereira, MA; Nóbrega, C; Mega, AC; Santos, C; Cruz, R; Esteves, F; Vala, H; Matos, ACCoxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of Q fever, a worldwide zoonosis. Cattle, sheep and goats are considered the main reservoirs of the disease. Transmission to humans occurs mainly through the inhalation of infectious aerosols from milk, faeces, urine, and birth products from infected ruminants. In this study, a 2-year longitudinal approach was performed to ascertain the excretion of C. burnetii in bulk t...
Biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure and short-time healt...
Paiva, AM; Barros, B; Oliveira, M; Alves, S; Esteves, F; Fernandes, A; Vaz, J; Slezáková, K; Teixeira, JP; Costa, S; Morais, SHuman biomonitoring data retrieved from real-life wildland firefighting in Europe and, also, worldwide are scarce. Thus, in this study, 176 Portuguese firefighters were biomonitored pre- and post- unsimulated wildfire combating (average:12–13 h; maximum: 55 h) to evaluate the impact on the levels of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons hydroxylated metabolites (OHPAH; quantified by high-performance liquid c...
Firefighters' Occupational Exposure in Preparation for Wildfire Season: Address...
Esteves, F; Slezakova, K; Madureira, J; Vaz, J; Fernandes, A; Morais, S; do Carmo Pereira, M; Teixeira, JP; Costa, SThe characterization of wildland firefighters' occupational exposure must consider different exposures, including those at the fire station. The present study aimed to characterize the occupational exposure of 172 Northern Portuguese wildland firefighters in fire stations during the pre-wildfire season of 2021. The biological impact of estimated inhaled doses of PM10 and PM2.5 (indoor/outdoor) was accessed thro...
Biomarkers, human health
Costa, S; Esteves, FThe term “biomarker” comes from the Greek term “βιο-“, meaning life, in combination with “mark”, Old English of “mearcere”, meaning “writer, notary”, or literally “one who marks”. In scientific literature the word first emerged in the 1970s, but the concept has been part of biomedical research for decades. Various definitions were established over the years, the simplest describes it as a “biological endpoint (...