Texas Firefighter Cancer Study

Stakeholders Advisory Board

•  Fire Associations including
    o HPFFA, Houston Professional Fire Fighters' Association
    o SFFMA, State Firefighters' and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas
    o TSAFF, Texas State Association of Firefighters
    o TFCA, Texas Fire Chiefs Association
    o TCFP, Texas Commission on Fire Protection
    o SFMO, State Fire Marshal's Office
    o IAFF, International Association of Fire Fighters
    o Retired Firefighters Association

•  Fire Departments including
    o Houston
    o Austin
    o Brownsville
    o Dallas/Ft. Worth
    o El Paso
    o San Antonio

• Publications
• Presentations

Industrial Hygiene and Exposure Science Laboratory (PD: Jooyeon Hwang, PhD, CIH)

A. Chemical Characterization of Environmental Samples

Major Equipment:
• Agilent Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometry Triple Quadrupole (GC-MS/MS) 8890 GC/7010D Triple Quadrupole
• Agilent Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) 6890 GC/ 5973 MS
• Agilent Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) 6890 GC/ 5975B MS
• Agilent Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) 8890 GC/ 5977B MS
• Agilent Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) 7500CX

Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) is a powerful analytical technique that combines two methods to separate and identify in a sample. First, Gas Chromatography (GC) separates volatile compounds by carrying them through a heated column, allowing different chemicals to elute at different times. Then, the separated compounds enter the Mass Spectrometer (MS), where they are fragmented and analyzed based on their mass-to-charge ratios to identify the original molecules. This technique is widely used in fields such as environmental and occupational monitoring, forensics, and pharmaceutical research to detect and quantify chemicals in complex mixtures. At present, the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Industrial Hygiene and Exposure Science Laboratory has four GC/MS systems, including one GC-MS/MS triple quadrupole, which is a significantly more powerful instrument compared to a single quadrupole GC/MS also ICP-MS instrument for the analysis and detection of trace metals in various media.

Comprehensive list of the main organic compound groups that can be analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Along with examples of typical compounds in each group and where they are commonly found:

1. Alkanes (Saturated Hydrocarbons)
Characteristics: Nonpolar, very volatile, Examples:
• Methane (CH4)
• Octane (C8Ha8)
• Decane (C10H22)
Application: Petroleum products, fuels, lubricants.

2. Alkenes and Alkynes (Unsaturated Hydrocarbons)
Characteristics: Volatile, reactive compounds with double/triple bonds. Examples:
• Ethylene (C2H4)
• Propene (C3H6)
• 1-Butyne (C4H6)
Applications: Industrial emissions, fuel combustion studies.

3. Volatile Organic Compound
Characteristics: Ring compounds, often stable and volatile. Examples:
• 1-1,3-Butadien
• 2-n-Pentane
• Isoprene
• Methylen Chloride
• Methyl tetra-Butyl ethylene
• 6-n-Hexane
• Chloroprene
• Methylcyclopentane
• Methyl Ethyl Ketone (2 butanone)
• Chloroform
• 11-2,3-Dimethylpentane
• Carbone tetrachloride
• Benzene
• Trichloroethylene
• Toluene
• Tetrachloroethylene
• Ethylbenzene
• 18-n-Nonane
• m&p-Xylene
• 20-o-Xylene
• Styrene
• alpha-pinene
• nDecane
• 24-1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene
• 25-1-ethyl-2-methylbenzene
• bete-pinene
• 27-1,2,4-trimethylbenzene
• 28-D-Limonene
• 29-1,2,3-trimethylbenzene
• 30-1,4-Dichlorobenzene
• Naphthalene
Applications: Air pollution, gasoline analysis, industrial solvents:

4. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Characteristics: Multi-ring compounds, semi-volatile. Examples:
• Naphthalen
• 2-1-methyl-Naphthalene
• Acenaphthylene
• Acenaphthene
• Florene
• Phenanthrene
• Antheracene
• Fluranthene
• Pyrene
• Benzo[a]anthracene
• Chrysene
• Benzo[a] pyrene
• benzo[k] fluoranthene
• Benzo[b] fluoranthene
• dibenz [a, h] anthracene
• Indeno [1,2,3, -cd] pyrene
• Benzo[ghi] perylene
Application: Environmental monitoring (air, soil, water), combustion by-products.

5. Alcohols
Characteristics: Can be analyzed directly (small ones) or after derivatization (large or polar ones) Examples:
• Methanol
• Ethanol
• Isopropanol
• Butanol
Applications: Forensic testing, beverages, fuels.

6. Aldehydes and Ketones
Characteristics: Volatile carbonyl compounds, often derivatized for better stability. Examples:
• Acetones
• Butanone (MEK)
• Benzaldehyde
Applications: Indoor air analysis, Industrial solvents.

7. Carboxylic Acid and Esters
Characteristics: Often need derivatization to form volatile methyl ester. Examples:
• Acetic acid → methyl acetate
• Butyric acid → methyl butyrate
• Ethyl acetate
• Isoamyl acetate (banana scent)
Applications: Flavor/fragrance analysis, food chemistry, biodiesel.

8. Ethers
Examples:
• Diethyl ether
• Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)
• Tetrahydrofuran (THF)
Applications: Solvent residue analysis, fuel oxygenates.

9. Amines
Characteristics: Basic nitrogen compounds, may need degravitation. Examples:
• Methylamine
• Dimethylamine
• Aniline
Applications: Environmental and pharmaceutical analysis.

10. Nitriles
Examples:
• Acetonitrile
• Propionitrile
• Benzonitrile
Applications: Industrial chemical monitoring.

11. Halogenated Hydrocarbons:
Characteristics: Volatile and stable. Examples:
• Chloroform
• Carbon tetrachloride
• Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)
• Trichloroethylene
Application: Solvent screening, groundwater contamination.

12. Pesticides (Volatile and Semi-Volatile Types)
Examples:
• Lindane
• DDT
• Aldrin
• Malathion
• Chlorpyrifos
Applications: Environmental, food residue testing.

13. Phthalates (Plasticizers)
Examples:
• Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
• Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP)
• Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
Applications: Plastic contamination, consumer products.

14. Phenols
Examples:
• Phenol
• Cresol
• Nonylphenol
Applications: Industrial wastewater, environmental monitoring.

15. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
Examples:
• PCB-28
• PCB-52
• PCB-180
Applications: Environmental pollutant analysis (soil, sediments)

16. Drugs and Metabolites (Volatile or Derivatized)
Examples:
• Amphetamine
• Methamphetamine
• Steroids (after derivatization)
Applications: Forensic toxicology, clinical testing.

17. Other Semi-Volatile Organics (SVOCs)
Examples:
• Dioxins
• Furans
• PAH
Applications: Environmental and hazardous waste analysis

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a highly sensitive analytical technique used to determine the elemental and isotopic composition of a sample. The sample is ionized in a high-temperature argon plasma, and the resulting ions are separated by their mass-to-charge ratios in a mass spectrometer. This method enables the detection of most elements at ultra-trace concentrations, making it essential for applications such as environmental and occupational monitoring, geochemistry, pharmaceuticals, and clinical research.

Developed and implemented an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for analyzing various media, including water, soil, blood, and urine, to determine 30 metals, including toxic heavy metals in Parts per billion (ppb) level. Our laboratory analyzes a wide range of metals—below are selected examples.

• Beryllium (Be)
• Sodium (Na)
• Magnesium (Mg)
• Aluminum (Al)
• Potassium (K)
• Calcium (Ca)
• Scandium (Sc)
• Vanadium (V)
• Chromium (Cr)
• Manganese (Mn)
• Iron (Fe)
• Cobalt (Co)
• Nickel (Ni)
• Copper (Cu)
• Zinc (Zn)
• Arsenic (As)
• Selenium (Se)
• Strontium (Sr)
• Rhodium (Rh)
• Silver (Ag)
• Cadmium (Cd)
• Antimony (Sb)
• Barium (Ba)
• Terbium (Tb)
• Titanium (TI)
• Lead (Pb)
• Bismuth (Bi)
• Thorium (Th)
• Uranium (U)

B. Advanced Aerosol Exposure Assessment

Air sampling equipment and numerous state-of-art direct-reading air instruments are available for comprehensive exposure assessment:
• Aerodynamic Particle Sizer
• Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer
• Condensation Particle Counter
• Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposition Cascade Impactor
• Indoor Air Quality Monitors
• Light-scattering Laser Photometer
• Real-time Aerosol Monitors
• Nanoparticle Sizer
• Personal Air Pumps
• Air Flow meters

C. Aerosol Generation Experiments

Our laboratory experimental setup for aerosol assessment includes the following equipment:
• Atomizer Aerosol Generator
• Six-Jet Atomizer
• Single Jet Atomizer
• Impactor Inlet
• Small Scale Powder Disperser
• Aerosol Spectrometers
• Charger Neutralizer
• Fluorometers

UTHealth Houston launches firefighter cancer risk study with kick-off event 

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health hosted a kickoff event to celebrate the launch of a $5 million, multi-year initiative focused on reducing cancer risks and health impacts of environmental exposures for firefighters.

UTHealth Houston study links firefighter smoke exposure to biological changes that increase cancer risk

A new study published in Environmental Research by researchers at UTHealth Houston offers valuable insights into how firefighting can affect the body on a molecular level, potentially leading to long-term health risks such as cancer.

Researchers with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health awarded $5 million to study cancer risk among firefighters in Texas

The state of Texas awarded UTHealth Houston School of Public Health $5 million over two years for early detection and research, led by principal investigator Jooyeon Hwang, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, on cancer risk among firefighters in Texas.