Factors Determining Unique Thermal Resistance and Surface Properties of Silicone-Containing Composites.

This review discusses the key factors influencing the exceptional thermal resistance and surface properties of silicone-containing composites. Silicone polymers, known for their excellent chemical and physical properties, are widely used in a number of innovative products. In order to make silicone composites suitable for innovative applications, it is essential to ensure that they have both very good thermal resistance and superhydrophobic properties.

Grenfell Tower Fire: Toxic Effluents and Assessment of Firefighters' Health Impacts.

Objective: This study assesses the health symptoms and longer-term health outcomes of firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire.

Methods: All available data sources were analyzed, including databases published by the Public Inquiry, the Firefighter Cancer and Disease Registry, incident logs, and sickness reports up to 3 years postfire.

Results: More than three times as many firefighters who reported exposure to smoke during the fire also reported digestive and respiratory diseases following the fire, compared with those not reporting exposure to smoke.

Grenfell Tower Fire: Firefighters' Activities and Their Exposure to Fire Smoke and Heat.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the smoke exposure of firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire during the initial 20 hours.

Methods: As no compilation of exposure data exists, data were compiled from nine unconnected sources, including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, firefighters' statements, incident logs, and the UK Firefighter Cancer and Disease Registry.

Results: Of the 628 firefighters who attended, information was available from 524.

Hydrogels and Their Functionalization-Analysis of the Possibility of Their Application in Post-Fire Water Treatment Processes.

Increasingly intense changes in climatic conditions and the use of modified materials are causing fires, the consequences of which are increasingly serious for the environment. On one hand, there is the issue of access to water resources. On the other hand, there is the problem of post-fire wastewater, which often contains a mixture of simple inorganic compounds and complex organic molecules, making the removal of pollutants a difficult task requiring innovative approaches.

Problems of operation of positive pressure ventilators on the basis of surveys of Polish officers of the State Fire Service.

Positive pressure ventilators (PPV) used by 97.7% of officers of the National Fire Service in Poland, are characterized by work that is not in line with the expectations of the firefighters. In order to improve the technical and operational features of these devices, a survey was conducted among 25,000 eligible firefighters, identifying the application of these devices, problems in use and expected development directions.

Silicone Nanocomposites with Enhanced Thermal Resistance: A Short Review.

Continuous technological progress places significant demands on the materials used in increasingly modern devices. An important parameter is often the long-term thermal resistance of the material. The use of heat-resistant polymer materials worked well in technologically advanced products.

Sorption Processes of Selected PAHs on Selected Fire-Resistant Materials Used in Special Firefighter Clothing.

Fires constitute a significant threat due to the pollutants emitted and the destruction they cause. People who take part in firefighting operations must be equipped with appropriate tools, including special clothing that will allow them to work and guarantee safety. One of the threats is represented by compounds from the PAH () group, which are characterized by high toxicity and carcinogenicity.

Investigating the Impact of Carbon Fiber as a Wheelchair Frame Material on Its Ability to Dissipate Kinetic Energy and Reduce Vibrations.

Using a wheelchair over uneven terrain generates vibrations of the human body. These vibrations result from mechanical energy impulses transferred from the ground through the wheelchair components to the user's body, which may negatively affect the quality of the wheelchair use and the user's health. This energy can be dissipated through the structure of the wheelchair frame, such as polymer and carbon fiber composites.

Analysis of the air stream flow parameters generated by the positive pressure ventilator-full scale experiment and CFD simulation.

Positioning the positive pressure ventilator in front of the door opening affects the effectiveness of the rescue operation carried out during a fire. An important factor determining the effectiveness of the positive pressure ventilator is also the layout of the rooms within the gas exchange path and the obstacles present there. The purpose of this article is to assess the feasibility of using analyses such as large eddy simulation (LES) to verify the efficiency of mobile fans under simulation conditions, without the need for time-consuming experimentation (also for complex room volumes of buildings).

Reconciling chemical flame retardant exposure and fire risk in domestic furniture.

Introduction: Evidence suggests that standards for resistance of furniture to ignition may lead to an increase in use of chemical flame retardants (CFRs). This is motivating the development of new approaches that maintain high levels of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in use of CFRs. However, reconciling potential fire risk with use of CFRs in relation to specific policy objectives is challenging.

Experimental studies of the influence of mobile fan positioning parameters on the ability to transport the air stream into the door opening.

The article aims to determine the influence of fan positioning parameters, i.e., its distance from a door opening (1-7 m) and the angle of inclination of the impeller axis in relation to the ground (0°-18°) on the amount of air flow pumped through a door opening.

Comparative toxicity assessment of individual, binary and ternary mixtures of SiO, FeO, and ZnO nanoparticles in freshwater microalgae, Scenedesmus obliquus: Exploring the role of dissolved ions.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are considered among the most prevalent engineered nanomaterials. To have a deeper understanding of the mode of action of multiple metal oxide nanoparticles in mixtures, we have used a unicellular freshwater microalga Scenedesmus obliquus as a model organism. The toxicity of silicon dioxide (SiO), iron oxide (FeO), and zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs was studied individually as well as in their binary (SiO + FeO FeO + ZnO, and ZnO + SiO) and ternary (SiO + FeO + ZnO) combinations.

A Review on Higher Education of Fire Safety in China.

Unlabelled: Along with the rapid urbanization and economic growth in China over the last four decades, the higher education in Fire Safety Science and Engineering has been developed and changed significantly. This work systemically reviews the origin and evolution of fire safety higher education history in China, from Fire Protection Technology (before the 1980s) to Fire Safety Science and Engineering (from about 1985 to the 2010s) and to Human-Oriented Public Safety and Smart Firefighting (from the 2010s to today). The scopes of fire safety discipline are discussed by introducing the requirements of firefighters, registered professional fire protection engineers and safety engineers in China.

Carbon distribution and multi-criteria decision analysis of flexible waste biomass smouldering processing technologies.

Waste biomass treatment is a globally urgent matter which highly relates to environmental quality and human health. Here, a flexible suite of smouldering-based waste biomass processing technologies is developed and four processing strategies: (a) full smouldering, (b) partial smouldering, (c) full smouldering with a flame, and (d) partial smouldering with a flame, are proposed. The gaseous, liquid, and solid products of each strategy are quantified under various airflow rates.

Comparative ecotoxicity of graphene, functionalized multi-walled CNTs, and their mixture in freshwater microalgae, Scenedesmus obliquus: analyzing the role of oxidative stress.

Due to their remarkable properties, the applications of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) such as graphene and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) are increasing. These CNMs can enter the freshwater environment via numerous routes, potentially exposing various organisms. The current study assesses the effects of graphene, f-MWCNTs, and their binary mixture on the freshwater algal species Scenedesmus obliquus.

A new consensus on reconciling fire safety with environmental & health impacts of chemical flame retardants.

Flame retardants are chemical substances that are intended to mitigate fire safety risks posed by a range of goods including furniture, electronics, and building insulation. There are growing concerns about their effectiveness in ensuring fire safety and the potential harms they pose to human health and the environment. In response to these concerns, on 13 June 2022, a roundtable of experts was convened by the UKRI Six Clean Air Strategic Priorities Fund programme 7.

Mental health of UK firefighters.

Exposure to trauma, high-stress situations, and disrupted sleep are well known risk factors affecting firefighters' mental health. Little is known about the association between firefighters' exposure to fire contaminants and mental health disorders. The UK Firefighter Contamination Survey assessed firefighters' health and capacity for occupational exposure to contaminants.

Contamination of UK firefighters personal protective equipment and workplaces.

Firefighters' personal protective equipment (PPE) is a potential source of chronic exposure to toxic contaminants commonly released from fires. These contaminants have also been found in fire stations. However, little research characterises the routes via which fire contaminants travel back to fire stations.

Culture and awareness of occupational health risks amongst UK firefighters.

Firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals not only from the fire incidents they attend, but also from their contaminated station and/or personal protective equipment (PPE). Little is currently known about firefighters' awareness, attitudes, and behaviours towards contaminants which was assessed in the UK firefighter contamination survey. Results revealed that lack of training on fire effluents and their health outcomes are strongly associated with increased fire smoke/contaminant exposure.

Cancer incidence amongst UK firefighters.

Firefighters suffer an increased risk of cancer from exposures to chemicals released from fires. Our earlier research has found that fire toxicants not only remain on firefighters' PPE, but are also tracked back to fire stations. The UK Firefighter Contamination Survey assesses firefighters' risk of developing cancer due to occupational exposure to fire toxins.

Scottish Firefighters Occupational Cancer and Disease Mortality Rates: 2000-2020.

Background: Increased mortality from cancers and other diseases has been reported in USA, Canadian, and Nordic firefighters. However, UK firefighters are understudied.

Aims: To determine whether UK firefighters suffer increased mortality from cancers and other diseases when compared with the general population.

Exploring the brachistochrone (shortest-time) path in fire spread.

The brachistochrone (shortest-time) curve is the path connecting two points that enables the shortest travel time. This work explores the "brachistochrone path" of fire spread connecting two points at the same altitude and with a fixed path length. The starting and ending points are connected by both thermally thin fuels (thin wires) and thermally thick fuels (PMMA bars).