Labs for Functional Textiles and Protective Clothing

10/12/2026

Over the weekend, our article "Comparative Evaluation of Passive Sampling Materials under Controlled Fire Smoke Exposure: Uptake of PAHs and Battery-Derived Metals" was published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. This study examined how six passive sampler materials capture PAHs and battery‑derived metals under controlled smoke conditions. The results show clear source‑dependent differences and reinforce the need for complementary, multi‑material sampling approaches to accurately characterize complex fireground exposures.

Congratulations to Md Touhidul Islam, Md Jalal Uddin Rumi, Md Jakir Hossain, Mazyar Etemadzadeh, Yulin Wu, Mengying Zhang, Rui Li, and Guowen Song for pushing this work forward and making meaningful strides in firefighter safety research!

Find our article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.143878

10/07/2026

The NexGenPPT lab is heading to the Advanced Textiles Expo in Orlando. On Monday, November 2, Prof. Guowen Song and Dr. Rui Li will present "Engineering Anti-Smoke Textiles: Insights from Controlled WUI and Battery Fire Simulations." The session will highlight how our proprietary ACCESS simulation platform accurately replicates the highly toxic aerosols generated by wildland-urban interface (WUI) and lithium-ion battery fires. By analyzing exactly how these complex particulates contaminate high-performance firefighter PPE, our team is driving the structural design of next-generation protective textiles and establishing evidence-based decontamination protocols to keep first responders safe.
(Presenting Monday, November 2 at 10:00 AM. See the full Advanced Textile Association conference schedule for details at https://advancedtextilesexpo.com/emergingtech/)

10/05/2026

Early last month, our team published "Protective textiles in cold–wet extreme environments: a narrative review of materials, testing, and glove performance in commercial fishing" in Textile Research Journal.
Congratulations to Leslee Weible, Mengying Zhang, Rui Li, and Guowen Song for their article that underscores how commercial fishing remains underrepresented in glove research and highlights the major gaps between current glove technology, existing testing methods, and the real‑world cold‑wet conditions commercial fishing workers face.

Read their article here:

Protective gloves are critical in commercial fishing, where workers face hazardous and variable environments. Unlike other high-risk industries, there are no fo...

09/28/2026

Iowa Capital Dispatch's Brooklyn Draisey spoke with Dr. Guowen Song and Dr. Rui Li to learn more about the statewide effort to reduce firefighters' contaminant exposure and the recent launch of the Iowa Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Exposure Reduction Program. The story highlights the work happening in our NexGenPPT labs, where our research team is developing tools to better understand modern fireground hazards and contamination pathways.
From controlled combustion testing to PPE contamination analysis, our lab’s capabilities are helping Iowa departments identify where exposures occur and how to reduce long‑term cancer risk. We’re grateful to see this work recognized and to contribute scientific insight to a statewide initiative focused on firefighter health and safety.

Read the article here:

Iowa State University is working with statewide partners to find solutions for firefighters carrying toxic contaminants on their gear.

09/23/2026

Iowa State University's News Service recently highlighted the statewide Iowa Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Exposure Reduction Program, including NexGenPPT’s critical hazard‑simulation and PPE‑contamination research. The article, written by Lisa Schmitz, showcases how our team is helping Iowa fire departments understand modern fireground hazards, measure invisible contaminants that remain on gear, and develop practical strategies to reduce exposure. It also features our unique lab capabilities, including controlled fire‑emission generation, particle analysis, and gear‑contamination testing, tools that position Iowa State as a leader in firefighter‑protection research. We’re proud to see our work recognized and to contribute to a statewide effort focused on prevention, early detection, and long‑term firefighter health.

Read the article here: https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/researchers-lead-statewide-effort-reduce-cancer-risk-firefighters
Watch the coverage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaJIZFQFu7w

All Articles Researchers lead statewide effort to reduce cancer risk for firefighters September 09, 2026 Watch above: Iowa State researchers generate and analyze modern fire emissions in the university's hazard simulation lab. Video by Dave Olson/Iowa State University. Quick lookIowa State researche...

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