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Reproductive hazards of fire fighting I. Non‐chemical hazards
Author(s) -
Agnew Jacqueline,
McDiarmid Melissa A.,
Lees Peter S. J.,
Duffy Richard
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700190403
Subject(s) - medicine , exertion , fertility , offspring , environmental health , reproductive health , chemical agents , occupational safety and health , pregnancy , toxicology , physiology , population , biology , biochemical engineering , engineering , genetics , pathology
Abstract Fire fighters are regularly exposed to chemical and non‐chemical agents that have known or suspected adverse effects on reproductive health. Although chemical agents have received some attention, non‐chemical hazards such as heat, noise, and physical exertion have only recently been examined for their reproductive effects. There is evidence that heat, noise, and physical exertion may affect various endpoints of reproductive health, including fertility, fetal loss, and growth parameters of the offspring. In particular, hyperthermia, a major fire fighting hazard, has been shown to impair male fertility and may also be teratogenic. Further study of the potential reproductive effects of this and other common non‐chemical agents in the fire environment is needed to ensure the reproductive health of male and female fire fighters.