A new Australian study will investigate the possible effects of exposure to smoke from rural fires on firefighters’ brain health, with particular attention to diseases such as dementia. The project, named Rural Firefighter Investigation of Risk & Exposure: Brain Health (R-FIRE), is being launched by QIMR Berghofer and aims to fill a knowledge gap about the long-term effects of this exposure.
The investigation will gather information on firefighters’ experiences in fighting fires, as well as health and lifestyle factors. Among the aspects to be analyzed will be smoke exposure, the use of protective equipment, and the health impacts perceived by the participants themselves.
According to Michelle Lupton, director of the Neurogenetics and Dementia Research Group at QIMR Berghofer, wildfire smoke has characteristics that are not yet fully understood. “We know that people with high exposure to wildfire smoke may suffer impacts on the lungs and overall health, but we still do not understand the long-term effects on the brain,” she says.
The researcher points in particular to fine PM2.5 particles present in smoke, which, she explains, can enter the bloodstream and reach the brain. The study aims to investigate whether this exposure could be associated with inflammatory processes and a future risk of dementia.
In this initial phase, the investigators are looking to recruit firefighters to respond to an online, confidential and de-identified questionnaire. The survey will focus on firefighting experiences, including smoke exposure, the use of protective equipment, and health effects perceived by the participants.
Jodi Thomas, lead researcher for the study, explains that the data collected will allow an initial characterization of the exposure of a professional group that regularly comes into contact with PM2.5 particles. “This study aims to fill an important knowledge gap. There isn’t much research on how wildfire smoke affects brain health, and we need to understand this relationship to better protect people in the future,” she says.
The project aims to produce information that can contribute to future health recommendations, prevention strategies, and support services for firefighters, especially those living and working in rural and regional areas who may be exposed repeatedly during fires.
The researchers also hope that the results will contribute to deepening knowledge about prevention and early intervention in dementia. As this is an observational study that is just beginning, the press release does not yet present results or allow establishing a causal relationship between smoke exposure and dementia.
