AIR-PURIFYING RESPIRATORY PROTECTION FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS: CURRENT CAPABILITIES, LIMITATIONS AND RESEARCH NEEDS

<ns3:p>The increasing frequency and intensity of wildland fires, driven by climate change and expandinghuman activity, expose firefighters to complex mixtures of harmful smoke constituents. Inhalationhazards include fine particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), aldehydes, volatile organic compounds,and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, many of which exceed recommended occupational exposurelimits. While Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) provides reliable protection, the weightand limited service life restrict their routine use in wildland firefighting. Air-purifying respirators(APRs) offer a lighter alternative; however, their protective capacity is uneven. APRs equipped withP2/P3 filters and A-type cartridges effectively reduce particulate and selected organic vapourexposure, yet they offer no protection against CO and have limited sorption capacity for lowmolecular-weight aldehydes and light VOCs. Despite these limitations, APRs remain appealing forcertain operational phases, such as mop-up or residual smouldering suppression, where exposurelevels are lower and prolonged use is required. Current research gaps include the absence ofharmonised test protocols that simulate multipollutant wildfire smoke atmospheres and insufficientlong-term epidemiological data. Future work should focus on the development of novel filter media,hybrid filtration systems, and wildfire-specific testing methodologies, complemented by training andawareness-raising among firefighters. Advancing these areas is crucial for bridging regulatoryframeworks, laboratory testing, and field practice to ensure effective respiratory protection inincreasingly severe wildfire scenarios.</ns3:p>