Chemical contaminants of firefighter gear and stations
- Firefighters are exposed to chemical contaminants when facing live fires, and carry these contaminants in their gear to their stations, personal vehicles, and homes. These contaminants have proven long term implications on firefighter health.
- This project is especially interested in quantifying contaminant exposures and understanding contaminant migration.
Laundering and weathering implications on firefighter gear
- Laundering is often used to decontaminate firefighter gear between fire to mitigate chronic contaminant exposure. While decontamination is beneficial, laundering is also know to contribute to gear weathering.
- This project is interested in the decontamination efficacy of various laundering protocols and the implications of laundering and weathering on the lifespan of firefighter gear.
Chemical exposures in residential environments
- Chemicals are used in the building, installation, and cleaning of residential surfaces and furniture; thus residential environments expose their occupants to an array of chemical contaminants.
- This project is interested in profiling common chemicals found in residential environments.
Flammability risk of upholstered household furniture
- All fabrics will burn, but at difference rates. Upholstered furniture, in particular, is often designed with a flame-retardant chemical of material imbedded. The types of flame-retardant and flammability tests have changed overtime; thus, leaving space for investigation of flammability risk.
- This project is interested in disseminating consumer information relating design aspects of upholstered furniture to flammability risk.