{"id":24979,"date":"2017-07-18T04:38:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T08:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=22630"},"modified":"2017-07-18T04:38:00","modified_gmt":"2017-07-18T08:38:00","slug":"chandler-maness-protects-firefighters-toxins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2017\/07\/chandler-maness-protects-firefighters-toxins\/","title":{"rendered":"Under Fire: Chandler Maness Focuses Upon Protecting Firefighters From Toxic Exposures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Under Fire: Chandler Maness Focuses Upon Protecting Firefighters From Toxic Exposures<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Chandler Maness is on a mission. The master\u2019s student in textile chemistry hopes to develop gear for firefighters that will help protect them from cancer and other diseases that have become an occupational hazard for so many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s astounding how high the rates of cancer and other diseases are for firefighters,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd firefighters are not always informed about the risks of their environment. I hope we can contribute to a decrease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maness looked for a graduate program that would allow him to pursue his passion for materials development, when his undergraduate professor, Bryan Ormond, told him about the Textile Protection and Comfort Center. The lab is recognized for its mannequins and instrumentation used to test a variety of materials and ensembles used in firefighting. One high-profile mannequin is PyroMan, a life-sized human figure used to test ensemble flammability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an undergraduate at NC State, Maness studied polymer and color chemistry in the College of Textiles. After graduating, he enrolled in the textile chemistry graduate program and began taking classes and working in Research Triangle Park the following semester. Maness briefly pursued research involving textile composites, but Ormond later invited him to participate in materials research in TPACC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI actually didn\u2019t start with the ambition to come to TPACC. When I first started grad school, I had a full-time night shift job as a quality-control chemist. I tried to orchestrate a research program with (my employer), but it didn\u2019t pan out,\u201d Maness said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen I talked with Bryan, and he actually had an opening that summer,\u201d he said. \u201cI learned about the project, and how it could develop into a thesis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Maness was sold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since entering the program, he\u2019s been working to improve firefighters\u2019 gear\u2014called a turnout\u2014hoping to reduce the particulate material from fires that gets into the turnout and may contribute to higher incidents of cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flash hood, which covers the firefighter\u2019s head and neck, is of particular interest since skin around the jawline and neck is thinner and more vulnerable to toxins. While a firefighter\u2019s breathing apparatus can help minimize inhalation of these substances, the personal protective equipment worn by firefighters\u2014including the hood\u2014aims to protect them from dermal exposure to the particulate matter generated by fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhenever a firefighter goes to a fire, there is a lot of smoke, and in the smoke there are a lot of microscopic particulates,\u201d Maness said. \u201cThose particulates contain toxic compounds and carcinogens that are part of the reason that firefighters have such a high rate of cancer. So the scope of the overall project is to kind of develop a turnout and ensemble that prevents these particulates from getting to the skin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maness and his team are seeking materials that would minimize firefighters\u2019 exposure to toxins, such as asbestos, benzene, styrene, heavy metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, many of which are carcinogenic. Given that Maness\u2019s role in the overall project involves materials research and evaluation, he developed lab equipment to help evaluate the effectiveness of different materials and designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n