A University of Maryland researcher is part of a team that landed a $1.5 million award through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to investigate health effects among firefighters who battle wildland blazes.
Michael Gollner, a UMD associate professor with the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, will co-lead a research effort to quantify the pulmonary and cardiovascular health consequences to firefighters exposed to wildland fire smoke. The effort comes after a heavy summer wildfires. For example, a blaze in California this year burned through 459,123 acres and destroyed 280 structures.
Wildfire smoke contains particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other toxic hazards that could be hazardous to firefighters and cause risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease and pulmonary diseases.