Mazyar Etemadzadeh

I am a PhD student at ISU and my research focuses on contamination and decontamination of firefighter’s personal protective clothing (PPC), with an emphasis on hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene. Current cleaning practices are often insufficient for complete removal of these carcinogens, increasing long-term health risks for firefighters. My goal is to design and develop a detergent enzyme capable of degrading or neutralizing PAHs while preserving the protective integrity of PPC. This research aims to provide safer, more effective, and sustainable decontamination methods for reducing occupational cancer risks.