Labs for Functional Textiles and Protective Clothing

07/19/2026

Congratulations to Md Jakir Hossain, Mazyar Etemadzadeh, Yulin Wu, Md Jalal Uddin Rumi, Mengying Zhang, Rui Li, and Guowen Song on their new publication in the Journal of Hazardous Materials!
Their article, "Multilayer firefighter PPE as a reservoir for PAH contaminants after controlled pine–polystyrene smoke exposure," uses controlled combustion chamber exposures to quantify how PAHs deposit, pe*****te, and redistribute across firefighter PPE layers. The authors show clear layer‑specific differences in PAH loading, the impact of repeated exposures, and the inward migration of semi‑volatile PAHs during storage. Their work provides a replicable framework for studying contamination in multilayer protective systems.
Read their article here: https://kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com%2Fa%2F1nSdA15DSld7w9/1/0102019f74b491f8-30d157bc-cf2b-4169-8104-7871b440f575-000000/d4LlQ7QXZw9NfVfVaFa4eKGj6go=473

07/15/2026

Last week, partners from NexGenPPT, the University of Iowa, the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Iowa Cancer Consortium, and fire service leaders from across the state came together for the first meeting of the Iowa Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Exposure Reduction Program. This new program aims to build a prevention‑first, firefighter‑trusted system that reduces harmful exposures, supports earlier detection through evidence‑based screening, and uses Iowa‑specific data to continuously improve firefighter health and safety.
The program is structured around five core pillars:
▪️ Reducing exposure on the fireground
▪️ Documenting PPE contamination and decontamination
▪️ Monitoring personal exposure and activities
▪️ Providing evidence‑based clinical screening guidance
▪️ Supporting navigation, referral, and continuous improvement
NexGenPPT shared ongoing work on exposure testing, including research on PPE contamination, passive samplers for tracking real‑world exposures, and studies of emerging hazards such as lithium‑ion battery emissions. These efforts will help develop practical tools and pilot programs that meet the needs of both career and volunteer departments. Researchers from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa highlighted key projects, including toenail biomarker testing, thermal runway studies, and firefighter behavioral health research, while partners from the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Iowa Cancer Consortium reinforced their commitment to providing evidence‑based resources and education for firefighters statewide.
Fire service leaders highlighted the importance of trusted education, cold‑weather decontamination solutions, and low‑burden documentation practices. These priorities that will guide the program’s next steps. The steering committee will now begin organizing subcommittees, shaping pilot criteria, and developing firefighter‑friendly resources and screening guidance. This collaborative effort marks a major step toward a safer, healthier future for Iowa’s fire service.

03/25/2026

"Characterization of Smoke Emissions from Wood and Plastic Combustion Under Controlled Conditions," a new article published in fire, provides a new methodology for reproducible and sustainable smoke simulation and findings that can help with exposure assessment to align equipment needs and operation strategies. Congratulations to the authors - Yulin Wu, Rui Li, Mengying Zhang, Jiaxin Shi, Fan Zhou, Mazyar Etemadzadeh, Md Jakir Hossain, Md Jalal Uddin Rumi, and Guowen Song - for leading this important work.

Find their full work here:

Fire smoke, rich in toxic ultrafine particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), poses significant health risks to first responders and vulnerable populations. In this study, a reproducible combustion–smoke simulation platform was developed to mechanistically quantify fire behavior, part...

03/19/2026

Congratulations to Md Jalal Uddin Rumi, Md Jakir Hossain, Yulin Wu, Mazyar Etemadzadeh, Mengying Zhang, Todd Kingston, Rui Li, and Guowen Song on their recent publication, "An Emerging Risk: Hazardous Ultrafine Particles and their Metal–PAH Enriched Emissions from Lithium-Ion Battery Fires" in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. The article adds valuable insight into battery-involved fires and the potential risks from their emissions.

The complete publication is available here for those following this line of research: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030438942600659X

03/11/2026

Taking a moment this week to spotlight another outstanding contribution from our team. Congratulations to Md Jalal Uddin Rumi, Yulin Wu, Md Jakir Hossain, Mazyar Etemadzadeh, Mengying Zhang, Todd Kingston, Rui Li, and Guowen Song on their newly published study "Wildland–urban interface co-combustion of biomass, synthetic polymeric materials, and lithium-ion batteries generates a new class of ultrafine soot–metal–PAH hybrid particles" in Frontiers in Public Health. Their findings advance our understanding of the emerging risks posed by wildland-urban interface fires to firefighters and nearby communities.

For those interested in the details, the article can be accessed here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1768652/full

03/05/2026

Our lab has had an exciting start to the month, and we are thrilled to highlight this new publication from Yulin Wu, Mengying Zhang, Rui Li, and Guowen Song in Occupational Health! Their article, Understanding and Mitigating Contaminant Exposure in Firefighting: Comprehensive Review of Firefighter PPE on Contamination, Health Risks, and Decontamination Methods, synthesizes important insights into exposure environments, avenues of exposure to contaminants for firefighters, and the current state of decontamination approaches.
You can read the full article here:

Firefighters are exposed to complex combustion products and to contaminants carried on personal protective equipment (PPE). Occupational exposure as a firefighter is classified as carcinogenic. This review summarizes the current evidence on exposure environments, routes of uptake, contamination and....