%0 Book %A Transportation Research Board %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Boyle, Daniel K. %T Planning and Design for Fire and Smoke Incidents in Underground Passenger Rail Systems %D 2017 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24691/planning-and-design-for-fire-and-smoke-incidents-in-underground-passenger-rail-systems %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24691/planning-and-design-for-fire-and-smoke-incidents-in-underground-passenger-rail-systems %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Transportation and Infrastructure %P 103 %X TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 124: Planning and Design for Fire and Smoke Incidents in Underground Passenger Rail Systems documents the state-of-the-practice to address fire and smoke incidents. Fires in underground passenger rail tunnels require implementation of different measures in order to provide safety for the passengers and ensure structural and system integrity of the facilities and operating infrastructure. The publication addresses planning, design, and operations to address fire and smoke incidents, and identifies current practices including lessons learned, challenges, and gaps in information. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Respiratory Health Effects of Airborne Hazards Exposures in the Southwest Asia Theater of Military Operations %@ 978-0-309-67910-7 %D 2020 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25837/respiratory-health-effects-of-airborne-hazards-exposures-in-the-southwest-asia-theater-of-military-operations %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25837/respiratory-health-effects-of-airborne-hazards-exposures-in-the-southwest-asia-theater-of-military-operations %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %P 270 %X More than 3.7 million U.S. service members have participated in operations taking place in the Southwest Asia Theater of Military Operations since 1990. These operations include the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, a post-war stabilization period spanning 1992 through September 2001, and the campaigns undertaken in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Deployment to Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Afghanistan exposed service members to a number of airborne hazards, including oil-well fire smoke, emissions from open burn pits, dust and sand suspended in the air, and exhaust from diesel vehicles. The effects of these were compounded by stressors like excessive heat and noise that are inevitable attributes of service in a combat environment. Respiratory Health Effects of Airborne Hazards Exposures in the Southwest Asia Theater of Military Operations reviews the scientific evidence regarding respiratory health outcomes in veterans of the Southwest Asia conflicts and identifies research that could feasibly be conducted to address outstanding questions and generate answers, newly emerging technologies that could aid in these efforts, and organizations that the Veterans Administration might partner with to accomplish this work. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Reassessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry %@ 978-0-309-69423-0 %D 2022 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26729/reassessment-of-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-airborne-hazards-and-open-burn-pit-registry %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26729/reassessment-of-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-airborne-hazards-and-open-burn-pit-registry %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %P 292 %X Beginning with the 1990–1991 Gulf War, more than 3.7 million U.S. service members have been deployed to Southwest Asia, where they have been exposed to a number of airborne hazards, including oil-well fire smoke, emissions from open burn pits, dust and sand, diesel exhaust, and poor-quality ambient air. Many service members, particularly those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, have reported health problems they attribute to their exposure to emissions from open-air burn pits on military installations. In 2013, Congress directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit (AH&OBP) Registry to "ascertain and monitor" the health effects of such exposures. This report serves as a follow-up to an initial assessment of the AH&OBP Registry completed by an independent committee of the National Academies in 2017. This reassessment does not include any strength-of-the-evidence assessments of potential relationships between exposures to burn pits or airborne hazards and health effects. Rather, this report assesses the ability of the registry to fulfill the intended purposes that Congress and VA have specified for it. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Melvin, April %T Wildland Fires: Toward Improved Understanding and Forecasting of Air Quality Impacts: Proceedings of a Workshop %@ 978-0-309-27737-2 %D 2022 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26465/wildland-fires-toward-improved-understanding-and-forecasting-of-air-quality-impacts %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26465/wildland-fires-toward-improved-understanding-and-forecasting-of-air-quality-impacts %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 80 %X Wildland fires pose a growing threat to air quality and human health. Fire is a natural part of many landscapes, but the extent of area burned and the severity of fires have been increasing, concurrent with human movement into previously uninhabited fire-prone areas and forest management practices that have increased fuel loads. These changes heighten the risk of exposure to fire itself and emissions (smoke), which can travel thousands of miles and affect millions of people, creating local, regional, and national air quality and health concerns. To address this growing threat, the National Academies brought together atmospheric chemistry and health research communities, natural resource managers, and decision makers to discuss current knowledge and needs surrounding how wildland fire emissions affect air quality and human health. Participants also explored opportunities to better bridge these communities to advance science and improve the production and exchange of information. This publication summarizes the workshop discussions and themes that emerged throughout the meeting. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Savitz, David A. %E Styka, Anne N. %E Butler, David A. %T Assessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry %@ 978-0-309-45117-8 %D 2017 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23677/assessment-of-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-airborne-hazards-and-open-burn-pit-registry %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23677/assessment-of-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-airborne-hazards-and-open-burn-pit-registry %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 252 %X Military operations produce a great deal of trash in an environment where standard waste management practices may be subordinated to more pressing concerns. As a result, ground forces have long relied on incineration in open-air pits as a means of getting rid of refuse. Concerns over possible adverse effects of exposure to smoke from trash burning in the theater were first expressed in the wake of the 1990–1991 Gulf War and stimulated a series of studies that indicated that exposures to smoke from oil-well fires and from other combustion sources, including waste burning, were stressors for troops. In January 2013, Congress directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a registry for service members who may have been exposed to toxic airborne chemicals and fumes generated by open burn pits. Assessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry analyzes the initial months of data collected by the registry and offers recommendations on ways to improve the instrument and best use the information it collects. This report assesses the effectiveness of the VA's information gathering efforts and provides recommendations for addressing the future medical needs of the affected groups, and provides recommendations on collecting, maintaining, and monitoring information collected by the VA's Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Review of the Department of Defense Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program Report %@ 978-0-309-15413-0 %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12911/review-of-the-department-of-defense-enhanced-particulate-matter-surveillance-program-report %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12911/review-of-the-department-of-defense-enhanced-particulate-matter-surveillance-program-report %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 106 %X Soldiers deployed during the 1991 Persian Gulf War were exposed to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and other airborne pollutants. Their exposures were largely the result of daily windblown dust, dust storms, and smoke from oil fires. On returning from deployment, many veterans complained of persistent respiratory symptoms. With the renewed activity in the Middle East over the last few years, deployed military personnel are again exposed to dust storms and daily windblown dust in addition to other types of PM, such as diesel exhaust and particles from open-pit burning. On the basis of the high concentrations observed and concerns about the potential health effects, DOD designed and implemented a study to characterize and quantify the PM in the ambient environment at 15 sites in the Middle East. The endeavor is known as the DOD Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program (EPMSP). The U.S. Army asked the National Research Council to review the EPMSP report. In response, the present evaluation considers the potential acute and chronic health implications on the basis of information presented in the report. It also considers epidemiologic and health-surveillance data collected by the USACHPPM, to assess potential health implications for deployed personnel, and recommends methods for reducing or characterizing health risks. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Fire- and Smoke-Resistant Interior Materials for Commercial Transport Aircraft %@ 978-0-309-05389-1 %D 1995 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5073/fire-and-smoke-resistant-interior-materials-for-commercial-transport-aircraft %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5073/fire-and-smoke-resistant-interior-materials-for-commercial-transport-aircraft %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 82 %X The two principal objectives of this book were (1) to identify promising materials technologies, design issues (both overall and for individual components), and fire performance parameters (both full scale and for individual components) that, if properly optimized, would lead to improved fire and smoke resistance of materials and components used in aircraft interiors; and (2) to identify long-range research directions that hold the most promise for producing predictive modeling capability, new advanced materials, and the required product development to achieve totally fire-resistant interiors in future aircrafts. The emphasis of the study is on long-term innovation leading to impacts on fire worthiness of aircraft interiors ten to twenty years hence. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Improved Fire- and Smoke-Resistant Materials for Commercial Aircraft Interiors: A Proceedings %@ 978-0-309-05336-5 %D 1995 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4970/improved-fire-and-smoke-resistant-materials-for-commercial-aircraft-interiors %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4970/improved-fire-and-smoke-resistant-materials-for-commercial-aircraft-interiors %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 258 %X This book describes the Conference on Fire and Smoke-Resistant Materials held at the National Academy of Sciences on November 8-10, 1994. The purpose of this conference was to identify trends in aircraft fire safety and promising research directions for the Federal Aviation Administration's program in smoke and fire resistant materials. This proceedings contains 15 papers presented by distinguished speakers and summaries of the workshop sessions concerning toxicity issues, fire performance parameters, drivers for materials development, and new materials technology. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Physiological and Toxicological Aspects of Combustion Products: International Symposium %D 1976 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/20009/physiological-and-toxicological-aspects-of-combustion-products-international-symposium %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/20009/physiological-and-toxicological-aspects-of-combustion-products-international-symposium %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 257 %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Fire and Smoke: Understanding the Hazards %@ 978-0-309-06231-2 %D 1986 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1916/fire-and-smoke-understanding-the-hazards %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1916/fire-and-smoke-understanding-the-hazards %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 166 %X %0 Book %A National Research Council %T The Effects on the Atmosphere of a Major Nuclear Exchange %@ 978-0-309-03528-6 %D 1985 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/540/the-effects-on-the-atmosphere-of-a-major-nuclear-exchange %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/540/the-effects-on-the-atmosphere-of-a-major-nuclear-exchange %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 206 %X Most of the earth's population would survive the immediate horrors of a nuclear holocaust, but what long-term climatological changes would affect their ability to secure food and shelter? This sobering book considers the effects of fine dust from ground-level detonations, of smoke from widespread fires, and of chemicals released into the atmosphere. The authors use mathematical models of atmospheric processes and data from natural situations—e.g., volcanic eruptions and arctic haze—to draw their conclusions. This is the most detailed and comprehensive probe of the scientific evidence published to date. %0 Book %A Transportation Research Board %A National Research Council %T Fires in Mass Transit Vehicles: Guide for the Evaluation of Toxic Hazards %@ 978-0-309-07840-5 %D 1991 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1869/fires-in-mass-transit-vehicles-guide-for-the-evaluation-of %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1869/fires-in-mass-transit-vehicles-guide-for-the-evaluation-of %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %P 100 %X Noteworthy progress has been made recently toward understanding and quantifying the smoke toxicity factors involved in fire hazard assessment. Such progress has led to increased attention to the significance of fire growth parameters for toxic hazard. Methodology has been proposed to use fire test data, including information on the toxic potency of smoke in engineering calculations for the assessment of overall fire hazard. Confidence in the methodology may evolve from comparison with full-scale fire tests as well as from human fire fatality experience. This report addresses fire modeling, fire testing, smoke toxicity testing, fire hazard assessment, and fire risk assessment. In the assessment of potential toxic hazards in the event of fires in mass transit vehicles, the report concludes that selection of candidate materials should be based on analyses using both toxicological and engineering considerations. %0 Book %T Air Quality and Smoke From Urban and Forest Fires %D 1976 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/19981/air-quality-and-smoke-from-urban-and-forest-fires %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/19981/air-quality-and-smoke-from-urban-and-forest-fires %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K %K Health and Medicine %P 397 %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T The Chemistry of Fires at the Wildland-Urban Interface %@ 978-0-309-27705-1 %D 2022 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26460/the-chemistry-of-fires-at-the-wildland-urban-interface %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26460/the-chemistry-of-fires-at-the-wildland-urban-interface %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %K Earth Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 214 %X Wildfires in America are becoming larger, more frequent, and more destructive, driven by climate change and existing land management practices. Many of these fires occur at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), areas where development and wildland areas overlap and which are increasingly at risk of devastating fires as communities continue to expand into previously undeveloped areas. Unlike conventional wildfires, WUI fires are driven in part by burning of homes, cars, and other human-made structures, and in part by burning vegetation. The interaction of these two types of fires can lead to public health effects that are unique to WUI fires. This report evaluates existing and needed chemistry information that decision-makers can use to mitigate WUI fires and their potential health impacts. It describes key fuels of concern in WUI fires, especially household components like siding, insulation, and plastic, examines key pathways for exposure, including inhalation and ingestion, and identifies communities vulnerable to exposures. The report recommends a research agenda to inform response to and prevention of WUI fires, outlining needs in characterizing fuels, and predicting emissions and toxicants. %0 Book %A Transportation Research Board %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Maevski, Igor %T Guidelines for Emergency Ventilation Smoke Control in Roadway Tunnels %D 2017 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24729/guidelines-for-emergency-ventilation-smoke-control-in-roadway-tunnels %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24729/guidelines-for-emergency-ventilation-smoke-control-in-roadway-tunnels %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Transportation and Infrastructure %P 80 %X TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Report 836: Guidelines for Emergency Ventilation Smoke Control in Roadway Tunnels presents guidelines for ventilation in roadway tunnels to facilitate human evacuation and emergency responder safety. These guidelines consider tunnel geometrics such as tunnel altitude; physical dimensions (i.e., length, cross section); type of traffic flow (i.e., single or bi-directional flow); and fan utilization and placement. They also consider cargo types and quantities as they pertain to fire heat release rates (FHRRs) and ventilation requirements. The guidelines determine the effects of ventilation on tunnel fires including fire size, and the interaction of firefighting and ventilation system operation. %0 Book %A Institute of Medicine %T Gulf War and Health: Volume 4: Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War %@ 978-0-309-10176-9 %D 2006 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11729/gulf-war-and-health-volume-4-health-effects-of-serving %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11729/gulf-war-and-health-volume-4-health-effects-of-serving %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Health and Medicine %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 292 %X In 1998, in response to the growing concerns that many returning Gulf War veterans began reporting numerous health problems that they believed to be associated with their service in the Persian Gulf, Congress passed two laws which directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences. They were tasked to review and evaluate the scientific and medical literature regarding associations between illness and exposure to toxic agents, environmental or wartime hazards, and preventive medicines or vaccines associated with Gulf War service. In addition, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences provided conclusions to these studies that were considered when making decisions about compensation to veterans. Gulf War and Health Volume 4: Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War summarizes in one place the current status of health effects in veterans deployed to the Persian Gulf irrespective of exposure information. This book reviews, evaluates, and summarizes both peer-reviewed scientific and medical literature addressing the health status of Gulf War veterans. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Fire Research Abstracts and Reviews, Volume 18 %D 1976 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18867/fire-research-abstracts-and-reviews-volume-18 %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18867/fire-research-abstracts-and-reviews-volume-18 %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 338 %0 Book %A Transportation Research Board %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Design Fires in Road Tunnels %D 2011 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/14562/design-fires-in-road-tunnels %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/14562/design-fires-in-road-tunnels %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Transportation and Infrastructure %P 150 %X TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 415: Design Fires in Road Tunnels information on the state of the practice of design fires in road tunnels, focusing on tunnel fire dynamics and the means of fire management for design guidance.Note: On September 20, 2011, the following errata was released related to NCHRP Synthesis 415. The electronic version of the publicaiton was changed to reflect the corrections.On pages 106 and 107, an incorrect reference was cited. In the final paragraph on page 106, the last sentence should read: One study came to the conclusion that, although some minimum water application rates would achieve a certain objective, a marginally higher rate would not necessarily improve the situation (79). The figure caption for Figure 35 at the bottom of page 107 should read: FIGURE 35 NFPA 13, NFPA 15, and other International Water Application Rates (79).The added reference is as follows:79. Harris, K., “Water Application Rates for Fixed Fire Fighting Systems in Road Tunnels,” Proceedings from the Fourth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, A. Lönnermark and H. Ingason, Eds., Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Mar. 17–19, 2010. %0 Book %A Institute of Medicine %T Long-Term Health Consequences of Exposure to Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan %@ 978-0-309-21755-2 %D 2011 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13209/long-term-health-consequences-of-exposure-to-burn-pits-in-iraq-and-afghanistan %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13209/long-term-health-consequences-of-exposure-to-burn-pits-in-iraq-and-afghanistan %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 192 %X Many veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have health problems they believe are related to their exposure to the smoke from the burning of waste in open-air "burn pits" on military bases. Particular controversy surrounds the burn pit used to dispose of solid waste at Joint Base Balad in Iraq, which burned up to 200 tons of waste per day in 2007. The Department of Veterans Affairs asked the IOM to form a committee to determine the long-term health effects from exposure to these burn pits. Insufficient evidence prevented the IOM committee from developing firm conclusions. This report, therefore, recommends that, along with more efficient data-gathering methods, a study be conducted that would evaluate the health status of service members from their time of deployment over many years to determine their incidence of chronic diseases. %0 Book %A Institute of Medicine %T Gulf War and Health: Volume 8: Update of Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War %@ 978-0-309-14921-1 %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12835/gulf-war-and-health-volume-8-update-of-health-effects %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12835/gulf-war-and-health-volume-8-update-of-health-effects %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %K Conflict and Security Issues %P 318 %X For the United States, the 1991 Persian Gulf War was a brief and successful military operation with few injuries and deaths. However, soon after returning from duty, a large number of veterans began reporting health problems they believed were associated with their service in the Gulf. At the request of Congress, the IOM is conducting an ongoing review of the evidence to determine veterans' long-term health problems and what might be causing those problems. The fourth volume in the series, released in 2006, summarizes the long-term health problems seen in Gulf War veterans. In 2008, the IOM began an update to look at existing health problems and identify possible new ones, considering evidence collected since the initial summary. In this report, the IOM determines that Gulf War service causes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that service is associated with multisymptom illness; gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome; alcohol and other substance abuse; and anxiety disorders and other psychiatric disorders. To ensure that our veterans receive the best possible care, now and in the future, the government should continue to monitor their health and conduct research to identify the best treatments to assist Gulf War veterans still suffering from persistent, unexplained illnesses.