Although outstanding progress in national disaster preparedness and response has been accomplished, one important piece of unfinished business remains: the lack of effective and timely environmental exposure analyses throughout the response effort. In part, the issue results from inadequate disaster-exposure characterization tools and the absence of clear protocols for invoking exposure-assessment technologies. In a broader sense, however, this deficiency illustrates the lack of adequate importance put on the timely use of exposure sciences during and after disasters, as well as recognition of how those omissions can impact the health of the responder community.

Limited resources have been invested in improving the ability to identify, monitor and collect real-time toxic exposure data. Without this capability, the window of opportunity to caution first responders and conduct subsequent exposure analysis and toxicity estimates is missed. As a result, the evidence needed to accurately define risk levels and associated cause-and-effect factors is lost.

Timely exposure analysis

Real-time exposure analysis equips decision-makers and first responders with the information necessary to estimate acute risks and define approaches to manage those risks safely and effectively. To illustrate, consider the 2006 hazmat explosion and fire at the EQ Industrial Services plant in Apex, N.C. A malodorous vapor cloud traveled the sky over Apex, fireballs shot hundreds of feet into the sky and explosions roared. The source of the fire was identified quickly as the EQ facility that housed a virtual witches' brew of toxic chemicals. First responders immediately were warned of the seriousness of this fire and wore the requisite personal protection gear.

Still, 40 people required medical attention for respiratory distress and skin irritations, including 13 police officers and one firefighter. The fact is, not all first responders have adequate information on exposure risks and also may not have or use personal protection gear. Protecting responders and the public from shifting airborne contaminants is difficult for disaster-scene managers who lack the ability to monitor exposures to toxic particles and gases on a real-time basis.

Critical exposure information absolutely is necessary to adjust safety boundaries accordingly. On multiple occasions during the Apex response, the command center was relocated due to shifting winds and movement of the vapor cloud — but based almost solely on visual and olfactory observations. Long after the fire was extinguished, many questions remained unanswered about the exact characterization of human exposures. In fact, a scientific investigation was not undertaken to determine the precise nature of the toxic exposures until the second day, as the EQ chemical manifest burned in the fire.

Just imagine the potential for adverse human health consequences in a similar situation with less obvious warning signs. The fact is that failure to immediately and correctly characterize the exposure greatly increases the likelihood of unnecessary adverse health outcomes, as protective gear is not always worn without explicit warning. Equally important is the vital need to capture relevant, archivable exposure samples to assist, if required, in the medical aftermath of any disaster.

Archived exposure samples

Despite access to state-of-the-art, high-tech personal protection gear, today's first responders still face the risk of exposure to harmful chemical, physical and biological agents while fulfilling their duties. In these situations, it is essential to capture real-time samples of the airborne contaminants to identify acute risks, as well as integrated samples that reflect their likely event exposures. Archived samples can be invaluable in providing the knowledge needed to characterize the exposures, better estimate the toxicity of the contaminants and understand potential health consequences, all of which assist in the subsequent medical treatment of those exposed.

Consider the lessons learned at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001. While most firefighters initially protected themselves from hazardous inhalation by wearing all-hazard protection gear such as air packs, the gear itself is not without issue. For instance, while air packs significantly increase workload, tanks must be replaced every 20 minutes. In addition, their use can hinder communication and occasionally interfere with the mission. Consequently, firefighters began removing their personal protection. They were simply unaware of existing danger. This lack of adequate information regarding their air quality left more than one-third of all firefighters exposed to toxic contaminants.