Firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer, compared with the general population.
A multidisciplinary UCLA research team is partnering with the L.A. County Fire Department to learn if firefighters could be repeatedly exposed to cancer-causing contaminants that accumulate on their protective clothing which are typically worn multiple times between cleanings.
Working alongside collaborators, Mehdi Bouhaddou, an assistant professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, will study how specific contaminants isolated from used protective gear could cause signaling changes within human cells that are associated with chronic diseases, like cancer.
The ultimate goal of this research is to identify inadvertent and unnecessary exposures to toxic fire-related contaminants and to find ways to protect firefighters from these exposures.
Read about this study in today’s UCLA Newsroom: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-researchers-team-up-with-l-a-county-fire-department-to-investigate-possible-source-of-cancer-risk