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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

News Listing

News Items List

Superfund Research Program

  • Kaminski Shares His Story Before Stepping Down
    Environmental Factor - April 2025
    After two decades, Norbert Kaminski, Ph.D., announced he is stepping down as the Director of the Michigan State University (MSU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. During his tenure, the center became a leader in research on the health effects of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds.
  • Scientist Answers Big Questions About Tiny Plastics
    Environmental Factor - April 2025
    Matthew Campen, Ph.D., a scientist at the University of New Mexico Superfund Research Program Center, is at the forefront of research on micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs). NIEHS Director Rick Woychik, Ph.D., interviewed Campen about MNPs and his groundbreaking publication on MNP accumulation in humans.
  • Six Trainees Win Prestigious K.C. Donnelly Awards
    Environmental Factor - March 2025
    Six trainees from Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded institutions received competitive K.C. Donnelly externships. These awards allow trainees to build their research capacity at other SRP centers or government agencies through innovative, collaborative research projects.
  • Keystone Science Lecture Highlights Framework for Evaluating Hazards
    Environmental Factor - March 2025
    Researchers use evidence from three kinds of studies to determine if a chemical may cause cancer or other adverse outcomes: human studies (epidemiological effects), animal studies (biological effects), and mechanistic studies (how chemicals contribute to disease).
  • Artificial Intelligence Facilitates Pollution Reporting
    Paper of the Month - March 2025
    Researchers at Texas A&M University Superfund Research Program Center developed an artificial intelligence (AI) chat bot that allows communities to report pollution incidents through a simple text messaging platform.
  • Superfund Grant Recipients Testify at PFAS Hearing
    SRP News Page - January 2025
    A panel of experts that included Superfund Research Program (SRP) grant recipients Laurel Schaider, Ph.D., and Sue Fenton, Ph.D., testified before Congress on Dec. 5 about the advantages and disadvantages of using PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in consumer products.
  • 2024 Papers of the Year
    Paper of the Month - January 2025
    The NIEHS Environmental Factor newsletter released its 2024 Papers of the Year, highlighting the most impactful publications by NIEHS researchers and grant recipients.
  • Volatile Organic Compounds May Raise Hypertension Risk in Nonsmokers
    Environmental Factor - December 2024
    Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may increase blood pressure and risk of hypertension, according to an NIEHS-funded study led by Katlyn McGraw, Ph.D., former Columbia University SRP Center trainee. VOCs are commonly found in household products, vehicle exhaust, and industrial emissions.
  • PFAS Mixtures More Harmful to Health than Exposure to a Single Compound
    Environmental Factor - December 2024
    Exposure to mixtures of PFAS chemicals may pose a greater health risk than exposure to a single PFAS alone, according to SRP-funded researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Results suggest that different PFAS compounds interact in ways that make a mixture more toxic.
  • Water Treatment Technology Aims to Destroy PFAS On-Site
    Environmental Factor - November 2024
    Enspired Solutions, a woman-owned environmental remediation company, received an NIEHS Superfund Research Program small business innovation research grant to develop an innovative technology to destroy PFAS contaminants in water.
  • Researchers Team Up with Louisville Community to Investigate Chemical Exposures
    SRP News Page - October 2024
    Concerns about volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) potentially leaking into a library in Louisville prompted action by NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) centers. Collaborators at the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville (UofL) came together with local researchers and community members to address the problem.
  • From Cells to Society: Protecting Children and Pregnant Women From Environmental Harms
    SRP News Page - October 2024
    Rebecca Fry, Ph.D., has dedicated her career to understanding how environmental exposures affect children s health. Now a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Fry directs the UNC Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, which focuses on the health effects of metals, especially arsenic, in drinking water.
  • Connecting the Dots Between DNA Damage, Hormonal Signaling, and Breast Cancer
    SRP News Page - October 2024
    Toxicologist Jennifer Kay, Ph.D., of the Silent Spring Institute is studying how chemicals known to both damage DNA and change how the hormones estrogen and progesterone send signals in the body may pose greater threat of causing breast cancer than chemicals that only do one or the other.
  • Protein plays contradictory roles in preventing and promoting disease
    Environmental Factor - October 2024
    A protein called NRF2, which controls a protective response against oxidative stress, may also promote disease if it is activated for extended periods of time, according to Donna Zhang, Ph.D., during a September 10 Distinguished Lecture at NIEHS.
  • Revealing the Effects of Air Pollution Across the Life Span
    SRP News Page - October 2024
    As director of the NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at Louisiana State University (LSU), Stephania Cormier, Ph.D., has prioritized research on the health effects of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR), a type of air pollutant.
  • Drinking Water Tested for Forever Chemicals in Response to Community Concerns
    SRP News Page - September 2024
    When North Carolina communities were concerned about possible per- and polyflourylalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, researchers and community engagement specialists from the North Carolina State University (NC State) SRP Center worked with community partners to test drinking water and share results.
  • Unmasking NDMA: Cancer clues and repair insights
    Environmental Factor - September 2024
    Superfund Research Program trainee, Amanda Armijo, winner of the 2022 Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award, delivered an award lecture about her research on the genetic effects of exposure to carcinogenic n-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, through drinking water.
  • Northeastern University: Charcoal-based Technology to Clean Up Water
    Technology Profile - September 2024
    Researchers at Northeastern University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center are exploring the use of biochar made from banana peels to remove organic contaminants from water. Biochar is a porous, cost-effective, and eco-friendly form of charcoal that is created by burning organic matter in an oxygen-free environment.
  • Well Water Test History Must Now Be Shared With Home Buyers
    Environmental Factor - July 2024
    Residential property disclosure statements in North Carolina now include a question about testing for contaminants in private wells, thanks to work by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) SRP Center and collaborators.
  • SRP Grantees Lead the Conversation on PFAS
    SRP News Page - July 2024
    Scientists across the country, including many funded by the Superfund Research Program (SRP), gathered with community groups, public officials, and others to share experiences and research related to PFAS. Through several recent events, they aimed to understand challenges and discuss strategies to protect the health of communities affected by the toxic and persistent chemicals.
  • Promoting Safer Fish Consumption
    SRP News Page - July 2024
    Harmful contaminants like mercury and PFAS can accumulate in fish and can be transferred to people when those fish are eaten. Fish consumption advisories provide recommendations about what fish and shellfish to limit and avoid eating based on the body of water where the fish was caught. However, state agencies in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services often lack resources to update and communicate these advisories to the public.
  • Improving PFAS Filters with Charged Molecules
    Environmental Factor - June 2024
    Researchers at the University of Kentucky (UK) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center tested the impact of electrically charging certain filtration materials to remove PFAS.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Interaction of Toxic Metals in the Digestive System Revealed
    Paper of the Month - June 2024
    Scientists at the University of Arizona SRP Center examined the effects of arsenic, cadmium, ferrihydrite, and pepsin, an enzyme responsible for protein digestion. Scientists used a simulated gastrointestinal (GI) tract to measure bioaccessibility, or the amount of toxic metals that could be released during digestion and absorbed into the blood stream.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Prenatal Exposure to Glyphosate Linked to Neurodevelopmental Delays
    Paper of the Month - June 2024
    A study led by a team at the Northeastern University SRP Center examined the relationship between exposure to an herbicide before birth and neurodevelopment in young children. Researchers assessed herbicide exposure of 143 mother-baby pairs from Puerto Rico by collecting urine samples from the mothers during pregnancy and measuring levels of glyphosate and breakdown product of herbicide.
  • 2witech Solutions LLC: Portable PFAS Analysis
    Technology Profile - June 2024
    2witech Solutions LLC developed a portable device to screen for PFAS in contaminated water. Capable of detecting very low concentrations of PFAS, the analyzer quickly provides real-time information and costs less than traditional laboratory testing.
  • SRP Centers Partner to Address PCB Concerns
    SRP News Page - May 2024
    NIEHS-funded researchers at the University of Iowa and the North Carolina State University (NC State) Superfund Research Program (SRP) centers partnered to address community concerns about polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) discovered in an NC State building. During an online forum on February 24, 2024, the team answered questions from the NC State community about the health effects of PCBs.
  • Connecting Cultures: Conducting Ethical Research in Tribal Settings
    SRP News Page - April 2024
    Jamie Donatuto, Ph.D., is in a unique position as both the environmental health analyst for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and as the co-leader of the Community Engagement Core at the Oregon State University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. She has spent decades researching the intersections of environmental contaminant exposures, Indigenous practices, and community health, and she regularly advocates for and educates others about ethical research collaborations that benefit Tribal health.
  • Duke SRP Center Promotes Garden Safety
    SRP News Page - April 2024
    Researchers at the NIEHS-funded Duke University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center are using outreach and community-engaged research to help North Carolina residents identify, understand, and manage risks related to soil contamination. Center staff also develop a variety of tools to help residents identify contaminant sources near their gardens.
  • SRP Centers Shine at SOT
    SRP News Page - April 2024
    Many NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded scientists and trainees, as well as SRP staff, attended the 63rd Annual Meeting and ToxExpo for the Society of Toxicology (SOT), held March 10-14 in Salt Lake City.
  • Using Spatial Analytics to Address Flooding and Contamination in Fence-Line Communities
    Environmental Factor - April 2024
    As head of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning and a member of the NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at Texas A&M University, Galen Newman, Ph.D., focuses on improving urban resilience against hurricanes and flooding. His work shapes community resilience plans that use environmentally conscious landscape design to improve health outcomes.
  • Researchers Team up with Tribe, Community to Fight PFAS with Plants
    Environmental Factor - April 2024
    Scientists supported by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) together with community and Mi kmaq Nation tribal members are using plants to remove PFAS from a contaminated site in northern Maine, a technique known as phytoremediation.
  • University of Iowa: Biochar-Enhanced Bacteria
    Technology Profile - March 2024
    Researchers at the University of Iowa are investigating how biochar, the carbon-rich byproduct of burning plant matter, can enhance the performance of a type of bacteria - called organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) - commonly used to break down halogenated pollutants.
  • Oral Histories Shed Light on Environmental Injustice in Louisiana
    Environmental Factor - March 2024
    Researchers at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center used community interview data, referred to as oral history, to reveal long-term effects of a thermal treatment waste facility on residents in Colfax, Louisiana.
  • Forging Partnerships to Reach and Empower Rural Well Water Users
    SRP News Page - March 2024
    As the community engagement coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill (UNC) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, Andrew George, Ph.D., is educating rural communities about the health risks of drinking well water contaminated with metals. He also relies on partnerships with community organizations across North Carolina to help under-resourced communities test their wells for free.
  • Improved Machine Learning Technique to Reveal How Metabolites Are Created
    SRP News Page - February 2024
    Researchers from the University of Kentucky (UK) SRP Center are using machine learning techniques to help interpret how chemicals are processed, or metabolized, in the body. A series of interconnected processes in the body, known as metabolic pathways, can convert substances into smaller molecules, or metabolites. For certain chemicals, these metabolites can be more toxic than their parent compound.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Culinary-Inspired Technique Removes Arsenic from Water
    Environmental Factor - February 2024
    A new approach developed by Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers improved the ability of carbon-based filters to remove arsenic from drinking water. This method, which is inspired by a cooking technique known as sous vide, may offer a cheaper and more practical solution to prevent arsenic exposure.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Rapid-Imaging Method Leverages Machine Learning to Study Immune Cells
    Environmental Factor - February 2024
    Researchers at the North Carolina State University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center and small business collaborators developed a new approach that combines advanced imaging methods with machine learning to rapidly image and count neutrophils, a type of immune cell, in zebrafish embryos. Research suggests that exposure to environmental pollutants can decrease neutrophil levels, emphasizing the need for strategies to screen chemicals affecting neutrophil counts.
  • Zebrafish Represent Key Piece to Toxicology Puzzle
    Environmental Factor - February 2024
    Superfund Research Program (SRP) grant recipient Robyn Tanguay, Ph.D., was recently interviewed by NIEHS Director Rick Woychik, Ph.D. Tanguay, who serves as the director of the Oregon State University SRP Center, discussed her research using zebrafish and why she thinks they represent a paradigm shift in toxicological research.
  • Grantees Create Framework to Report Back Environmental Health Results
    Environmental Factor - February 2024
    NIEHS-funded researchers have created a new framework designed to help scientists report back study findings about potential exposures to participants. The 12-point framework, developed by Katrina Korfmacher, Ph.D., and Julia Brody, Ph.D., of the Northeastern University PROTECT Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, aims to make report-back a routine part of research within the environmental health sciences.
  • Combining Environmental and Social Sciences to Address Community Air Quality Concerns
    SRP News Page - January 2024
    While Jennifer Richmond-Bryant, Ph.D., was studying for a degree in civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University, she heard that workers in nearby municipal offices were experiencing "sick building syndrome." This experience highlighted for her that environmental issues were really health issues.
  • Rollie Mills wins 2023 Wetterhahn Award
    Environmental Factor - January 2024
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) selected Rollie Mills, from the University of Kentucky (UK) SRP Center, as the 26th recipient of the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award.
  • Collaboration and training key to Superfund success
    Environmental Factor - January 2024
    The annual grant recipient meeting of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), held Dec. 4-6 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, showcased how collaborative research can accelerate scientific discovery to protect the health of communities exposed to harmful contaminants.
  • SRP Seminar Series on the Complexity and Persistence of PFAS Compounds
    SRP News Page - January 2024
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) recently brought together several grant recipients and experts from other federal agencies to discuss new strategies and continuing challenges for PFAS site characterization. The three-session event, Tools for PFAS Site Characterization, included presentations on research efforts and tool development for sampling, monitoring, detecting, and characterizing PFAS. The widespread commercial use and the variety of risks of PFAS make site characterization important to researchers, who need to know which PFAS chemicals are where.
  • New Workflow Improves Data Management and Sharing
    SRP News Page - December 2023
    A team of scientists funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) published a new workflow to help researchers across disciplines share environmental health data more effectively. The workflow provides a standardized framework for collecting, organizing, and distributing scientific data so that it can be more easily understood and used by other groups.
  • For PFAS-polluted Sites, Forum Highlights Best Research Practices
    Environmental Factor - December 2023
    Members of the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable convened November 7 to share approaches for sampling and characterizing sites polluted by PFAS, a class of harmful chemicals that resist degradation. Through several case studies, speakers also illustrated unique challenges to understanding the sources and extent of PFAS contamination in the field.
  • University of Louisville Superfund Research Program
    Technology Profile - December 2023
    Researchers at the University of Louisville Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center have gained new insights into levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the environment using the Multichannel Organics In-situ enviRonmental Analyzer (MOIRA) instrument.
  • Skin cream may protect against floodwater contaminants
    Environmental Factor - November 2023
    Texas A&M University scientists developed a skin cream that may protect people from contaminants in floodwaters, such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. The cream, which forms a barrier between human skin and contaminants, is the culmination of several studies, partially funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), which have explored materials that can adsorb and immobilize toxicants to reduce human exposures.
  • SRP Centers Host Summer Programs in Environmental Health
    SRP News Page - November 2023
    Two core goals of multi-project NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) centers are community engagement and research training. Summer programs provide opportunities for center researchers and trainees to serve as mentors and share their work with the community and for students of all ages, from elementary school to college, to learn more about environmental health and research.
  • Scientific Journeys: From the Faroe Islands to PFAS Research
    Environmental Factor - October 2023
    Longtime NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grant recipient Philippe Grandjean describes what kickstarted his career and where his research is headed, as well as the health effects of PFAS and how people can limit their exposure. Grandjean is an investigator at the University of Rhode Island SRP Center and works with communities in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago between Iceland and Norway.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Metal Mixtures Linked with Biological Aging
    Environmental Factor - October 2023
    NIEHS-funded researchers with the Columbia University SRP Center identified metals that were associated with biological age acceleration, where exposure may be a risk factor for aging-related diseases in Native American communities. Although metal exposure may speed age acceleration, exposures are preventable, and the authors findings provide an additional strategy to prevent premature mortality.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Dogs and Horses May Be Important Indicators of PFAS Exposure
    Environmental Factor - October 2023
    Scientists with North Carolina State University SRP Center measured levels of PFAS in dogs, horses, and children in towns downstream of a PFAS manufacturing plant after the community voiced concern about the health of their pets and families. The authors identified concentrations of two types of PFAS in dogs that were similar to the concentrations found in children from another North Carolina town.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Mobile Air Pollution Monitoring
    Environmental Factor - October 2023
    Texas A&M University SRP Center researchers deployed a mobile air monitoring van in East Palestine, Ohio, following a train derailment. The van contained real-time, highly sensitive instrumentation to perform air quality analysis, and was driven around locations up- and down-wind of the train derailment for two days.
  • Water Contaminants Identified, Addressed in Marginalized Communities
    Environmental Factor - October 2023
    Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) describe reasons for water contamination disparities, identify current private well disparities, and review how community engagement and interventions like pitcher filters can help protect marginalized communities.
  • Burning Banana Peels to Remove Contaminants from Water
    SRP News Page - October 2023
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers explored a new, cost-effective method of water treatment using biochar - a conductive, absorbent material - made from banana peels. This approach could inform large-scale, low-cost treatments in water systems, according to the authors at the Northeastern University Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center.
  • Studying DNA Damage and Repair Unlocks Key to Cancer Treatments
    Environmental Factor - September 2023
    How the body repairs DNA damage following exposure to a chemical called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) can provide new insights for cancer treatment, according to Jennifer Kay, Ph.D. The former Massachusetts Institute of Technology SRP Center trainee presented her findings during the August 1 Wetterhahn Award Seminar.
  • New Report Calls for Expanding the Risk Assessment Toolbox
    Environmental Factor - September 2023
    A new report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides recommendations for implementing new approach methodologies (NAMs) in human health risk assessments. The committee that developed the report, which was sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), included several SRP grant recipients.
  • Kelly Pennell, Ph.D. - From Pipes to People: Addressing Vapor Intrusion and Water Contamination
    SRP News Page - September 2023
    As a high schooler, Kelly Pennell, Ph.D., was inspired by environmental and human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa to help people affected by environmental exposures. Now, as director of the University of Kentucky (UK) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, she is working to protect public health from exposures to toxic substances like PFAS, trichloroethylene (TCE), and tetrachloroethene (PCE).
  • Protecting the Health of Mothers and Babies
    SRP News Page - September 2023
    Led by Northeastern University and funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), the Puerto Rico Test Site to Explore Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center brings together researchers from many institutions to explore the connection between environmental exposures and preterm birth in Puerto Rico.
  • Seven Trainees Awarded K.C. Donnelly Externships
    Environmental Factor - August 2023
    Seven NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainees won K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements to conduct research outside of their host centers. The three-month-long externships provide current SRP-funded graduate students and postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to learn new methods and techniques, while working in other SRP-funded institutions and government labs.
  • Silicone Wristbands Track Hundreds of Unique Chemical Exposures
    Environmental Factor - August 2023
    With funding from the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) and other NIEHS programs, researchers at the Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Center developed a simple, non-invasive approach to monitor personal chemical exposures using silicone wristbands. The highly sensitive wristbands can be used to measure exposure to low levels of hundreds of chemicals, offering a unique tool to better understand the complex mixtures people may be exposed to throughout daily life.
  • Tackling Environmental Health Problems from Many Angles
    Environmental Factor - July 2023
    Current and upcoming research to address complex environmental health issues related to hazardous contaminants and more, headlined the recent NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Progress in Research webinar series. Over the course of four sessions in April and May, the series highlighted 11 new and renewed SRP multiproject centers funded in 2022.
  • Paper of the Month: PFAS Exposure May Interfere with Dieting Success
    Environmental Factor - July 2023
    Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) can hinder dieting efforts to lose weight, according to a study by the University of Rhode Island SRP Center. PFAS, which are found in numerous industrial and consumer products, have been linked to various health problems, including metabolic changes and obesity.
  • Nature-based Remediation Technologies Help Clean Up PCB Contamination
    Environmental Factor - July 2023
    Exploring how chemical contaminants move through the environment and affect aquatic food webs, Upal Ghosh, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), aims to develop and implement technologies to help ecosystems recover from pollution.
  • Exposure to NDMA Causes Tell-Tale Mutational Pattern
    SRP News Page - June 2023
    Researchers with the NIEHS-funded Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center have found distinctive genetic patterns signifying damage from the toxic chemical N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA. The patterns could potentially be used to monitor cancer development and inform therapeutic interventions.
  • Safer Water for Native American Communities
    Environmental Factor - June 2023
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers recently installed filtration systems in Native American communities to reduce exposure to and the health effects of arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Led by the Columbia University Northern Plains SRP Center and in partnership with Northern Plain Tribal Nations and the Indian Health Service, the team installed arsenic filters under household kitchen sinks and launched a corresponding educational campaign.
  • Paper of the Month: New Technology Can Remove PFAS from Water
    Environmental Factor - June 2023
    SRP-funded small business Weaver Labs developed a novel technology to clean up water contaminated with PFAS. Their materials can be reused multiple times and are potentially less expensive than current remediation technologies, the authors said.
  • New Resource Guides Community Groups Struggling with Environmental Cleanups
    SRP News Page - June 2023
    NIEHS-funded researchers recently developed a new online course to aid concerned residents and other community members through the process of cleaning up environmental contamination. The course includes educational and interactive modules, short videos, and questions for reflection to help guide participants to identify and address chemical exposures in their homes, neighborhoods, and local communities.
  • University of Rhode Island Research: PFAS Passive Sampling Device
    Technology Profile - June 2023
    Researchers at the University of Rhode Island SRP Center, led by Rainer Lohmann, Ph.D., developed a passive sampling device to monitor per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater treatment plant effluent, as well as in groundwater and rivers.
  • SRP Centers Share Science With Students
    SRP News Page - May 2023
    A key goal of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is to train future generations of scientists - in the lab and in the community. SRP Centers across the country have been doing just that, participating in community events to teach school-aged children about science.
  • Learning From Communities to Improve Resilience
    SRP News Page - May 2023
    Social psychologist Irene Lafarga Previdi, Ph.D., is dedicated to understanding environmental exposures among Puerto Rican communities, and to sharing scientific findings in understandable terms.
  • SRP Highlighted at SOT
    SRP News Page - April 2023
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded scientists from across the country gathered in person for the 2023 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting to share their research and exchange ideas. Held March 19 - 23 in Nashville, Tennessee, the 62nd SOT meeting and ToxExpo drew more than 5,000 attendees who gave more than 2,000 presentations and participated in more than 70 sessions.
  • New Study Uncovers Mechanism of Heart and Lung Responses to Wildfire Smoke
    SRP News Page - April 2023
    Longer wildfire seasons are leading to more frequent and intense fires that could have disastrous consequences for human health. In a recent study, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) SRP Center explored the biological mechanism behind heart and lung responses to wildfire smoke.
  • Health Advanced When Reporting Back to Populations
    Environmental Factor - April 2023
    SRP-funded researchers created Mi PROTECT (Spanish for My PROTECT ), a mobile application to communicate environmental exposure results to pregnant women residing in a highly polluted area in Puerto Rico. The application provides information in both English and Spanish to individuals participating in studies conducted by the Northeastern University Puerto Rican Testsite to Explore Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center.
  • High-Fiber Diet May Protect Against Exposure to PFOS
    Environmental Factor - April 2023
    A diet rich in fiber may decrease disease risks associated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exposure, according to researchers at the University of Kentucky SRP Center.
  • Increasing Indigenous Health Literacy Through Visual Arts
    SRP News Page - March 2023
    Artist Mallery Quetawki combines her visual art skills, biology and healthcare background, and Indigenous knowledge to improve environmental health literacy among American Indian Tribes. A member of the Pueblo of Zuni Tribe in New Mexico, Quetawki has collaborated on environmental health outreach projects using art with the University of New Mexico (UNM) SRP Center. She currently serves as the artist-in-residence for the UNM College of Pharmacy s Community Environmental Health Program (CEHP).
  • Enhancing Remediation Technology to Clean Up Contaminants
    SRP News Page - March 2023
    Upal Ghosh, Ph.D., explores how chemical contaminants move through the environment and affect aquatic food webs, with the goal of developing and implementing technologies to help ecosystems recover from pollution.
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Research: Plant-based PFAS remediation
    Technology Profile - March 2023
    Scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife Research developed a novel technology that can efficiently bind to and break down per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment. Their approach combines a plant-based material that adsorbs PFAS and a fungus that can take up the chemicals.
  • Fostering Trust-Building to Promote Environmental Health
    SRP News Page - February 2023
    Joseph Hamm, Ph.D., strives to contribute to a deeper, fuller understanding of trust, one that crosses disciplines and helps different groups to work collaboratively toward better outcomes for community health and safety.
  • Trainees Translate Research, Display Creativity in SRP Video Competition
    Environmental Factor - February 2023
    Short, fun science videos produced by SRP trainees as part of a competition made their big-screen debut at the SRP Annual Meeting, held December 14-16 in Raleigh, North Carolina. SRP hosted the contest to encourage early-career researchers’ science communication efforts.
  • Path to Food Safety Requires Multidisciplinary Approach, Experts Say
    Environmental Factor - January 2023
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded grantees organized a workshop to discusses ways to reduce human exposure to toxic elements in food. Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the event focused on several themes: toxic element uptake and accumulation in plants; metal-soil interactions and cleanup; and food production and processing.
  • Amanda Armijo Wins 2022 Wetterhahn Award
    Environmental Factor - January 2023
    Amanda Armijo, D.V.M., Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology SRP Center, was selected as the 25th recipient of the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award. Armijo received the award December 15 at the SRP Annual Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was recognized for her work on tracing how the toxin NDMA damages genes, and how the DNA might repair itself.
  • GenX Exposure Study reports results back to the community
    Environmental Factor - January 2023
    Following the discovery of high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the blood of GenX Exposure Study participants, researchers are working quickly to report their findings back to the North Carolina communities and address their concerns.
  • Celebrating 35 Years of Innovative Superfund Research to Promote Health
    Environmental Factor - January 2023
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) marked its 35th anniversary December 14-17, 2022, at its first in-person annual meeting since 2019. Researchers, trainees, and community partners from across the U.S. gathered in Raleigh, North Carolina, to learn about select SRP-funded projects through workshops and presentations.
  • From Research to Innovation: Technology Transfer Focus of Roundtable
    Environmental Factor - January 2023
    Strategies to move environmental cleanup technologies from research and development to the field headlined the agenda of the first in-person Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR) meeting in three years. The event brought together leaders from 10 federal agencies, including NIEHS, to discuss how they can collaborate to meet hazardous waste contamination cleanup goals and emerging needs.
  • Trainings Help SRP Center and Partners Spread Nutrition Knowledge Across Kentucky
    SRP News Page - November 2022
    University of Kentucky (UK) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center staff are teaching Kentucky residents to educate their communities about good nutrition and environmental stewardship. Staff members recently led two train-the-trainer events introducing tools and curricula for teaching adults and children.
  • Chemical Toxicant Contributes to Low Birth Weight, Can Damage Placenta
    Environmental Factor - November 2022
    During an NIEHS lecture Oct. 6, Elana Elkin, Ph.D., a former NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainee and recipient of the 2019 Karen Wetterhahn Award, described how a chemical called trichloroethylene (TCE) can interfere with fetal development in the womb.
  • SRP, Pacific Basin Consortium Promote Health
    Environmental Factor - November 2022
    The 19th International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health, held Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 on Jeju Island, South Korea, brought together global experts to discuss advancing environmental health and translating scientific knowledge to action.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Link Between Exposure to Wildfire Smoke and Cardiovascular Harm Revealed
    Environmental Factor - October 2022
    Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SRP Center uncovered the biological mechanisms by which exposure to wildfire smoke harms the heart and lungs in mice. Wildfires are growing in intensity and frequency, posing a threat to public health worldwide. Although evidence links wildfire exposure with cardiopulmonary effects, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown.
  • Superfund Research Program Trainees Win Prestigious K.C. Donnelly Awards
    Environmental Factor - October 2022
    Seven trainees with the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) have earned K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements. Named for longtime SRP grantee Kirby K.C. Donnelly, the funding enables graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to learn techniques relevant to their work from experts at outside institutions.
  • SRP Summer Interns Shine at NIEHS Poster Competition
    SRP News Page - September 2022
    SRP summer interns Anna Kremer and Kirsten Reid presented their summer research projects in a virtual poster showcase along with interns and trainees from across NIEHS on July 28.
  • Quantitative BioSciences, Inc.: Customizable continuous water monitoring
    Technology Profile - September 2022
    Quantitative BioSciences, Inc., has developed a customizable sensor to continuously monitor water for arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, among other contaminants. A Business Innovation Research Grant from the NIEHS Superfund Research Program supported early work on the device.
  • Combining Biostatics and Genomics Research to Prevent Disease
    SRP News Page - September 2022
    Andres Cardenas, Ph.D., of the University of California (UC), Berkeley SRP Center explained how is applying his epigenetics expertise to investigate how environmental exposures contribute to the development of diseases, and how to prevent them.
  • Plant-Based Material Can Remediate PFAS, New Research Suggests
    SRP News Page - September 2022
    A novel technology that can efficiently bind to and break down per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment was developed by scientists at Texas A&M Agrilife Research with support from an SRP individual research grant.
  • Tribal Environmental Health Strengthened by Lewis and Team
    SRP News Page - September 2022
    For nearly three decades, Johnnye Lewis, Ph.D., has advanced Native American health by combining basic research, population-level studies, clear science communication, and robust partnerships with tribes.
  • Campaign Promotes Eating Safer Fish
    SRP News Page - August 2022
    Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, Ph.D., director of the Community Engagement Core at the Duke University SRP Center , and Veronica Carter, with the North Carolina Coastal Federation discuss the “Stop, Check, Enjoy!,” campaign in an NIEHS podcast.
  • SRP Centers Deliver Data Science Trainings
    SRP News Page - June 2022
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees developed publicly available courses to help their trainees and the broader environmental health sciences research community develop data science skills.
  • RemBac Environmental, LLC: Inoculated activated carbon pellets
    Technology Profile - June 2022
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program-funded small business RemBac Environmental, LLC., developed a remediation technology to treat sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The technology uses activated carbon pellets containing microorganisms to degrade PCBs in sediments.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Tropical Cyclones Linked to Rise in U.S. Deaths
    SRP News Page - May 2022
    Over the last three decades, tropical cyclones in the U.S. were associated with higher death rates in subsequent months, according to a study by the Columbia University SRP Center. The study included data on deaths in U.S. counties that experienced at least one tropical cyclone between 1988 and 2018.
  • NIEHS-Funded Technology to Detect Lead in Water Goes Commercial
    SRP News Page - May 2022
    NanoAffix Science, LLC developed a new portable device to detect lead in tap water in real time. The team launched its first commercial device, called NanoAquaSense, at the Water Quality Association’s Annual Convention in early April. Their technology is funded through the NIEHS Small Business and Innovation Research program.
  • Remembering Mike Denison, Longtime SRP Grantee
    SRP News Page - May 2022
    Environmental toxicologist Michael (Mike) Denison, Ph.D., of the University of California (UC), Davis, who was internationally known for his fundamental research on persistent organic pollutants and for developing a widely used test for detecting toxic substances in samples, died March 22 of brain cancer. A longtime grantee of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), Denison served as a project leader for more than 25 years.
  • Uncovering the Link Between Metals and Disease
    SRP News Page - April 2022
    Tiffany Sanchez, Ph.D., a former trainee at the Columbia University SRP Center, reflected on her experience as a trainee working with large cohorts, or groups of participants, to understand the connections between metal exposures and disease.
  • Preventing Disease Through Bioinformatics
    SRP News Page - April 2022
    Stefano Monti, Ph.D., explained how he is developing computational models for environmental contaminants to predict their long-term health effects, such as cancer and metabolic disorders. Since 2012, Monti led the Bioinformatics and Molecular Modeling Core at the Boston University SRP Center.
  • SRP Shines at SOT
    SRP News Page - April 2022
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees from across the country gathered in person and virtually for the 2022 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting, held March 27-31 in San Diego. The meeting highlighted cutting-edge research.
  • Pine Needles Work as Passive Samplers for PFAS
    Paper of the Month - April 2022
    North Carolina State University SRP Center researchers showed that pine needles can be used as a tool to monitor the presence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) over time. Thanks to their waxy coating, pine needles can trap PFAS and other airborne pollutants, providing a record of contamination.
  • PFAS Water Filter Developed Through NIEHS Funding
    Environmental Factor - April 2022
    A new filter cartridge that is compatible with Brita pitchers can remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water. The Purefast cartridges from CycloPure, Inc., are based on DEXSORB+ technology, which was developed with support from an NIEHS Superfund Research Program small business innovation research grant.
  • Data Mining Study Sheds Light on Factors Contributing to Preterm Birth
    Paper of the Month - April 2022
    Researchers at the Northeastern University SRP Center used a data mining approach to identify a diverse set of chemicals that may contribute to differences in preterm birth among different populations. According to the authors, results suggest that exposure to a diverse array of chemicals contributes to racial disparities in preterm birth and that multiple chemicals drive these effects.
  • Exposure to PCB Mixture Mimicking School Air Linked to Range of Health Effects
    Paper of the Month - April 2022
    Long-term exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures in school air may affect the nervous and immune systems, according to an NIEHS-funded study in rats. According to the authors, results indicate that this exposure level, 45.5 micrograms per cubic meter, may be close to the lowest dose in which airborne PCB exposure induces adverse health effects.
  • SRP Teams Tackle Pandemic Challenges from Many Angles
    SRP News Page - March 2022
    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) teams have shown resourcefulness, updating existing projects and pursuing new research to address environmental health needs.
  • Leveraging Machine Learning to Predict Toxicity
    Research Brief - March 2022
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees developed a new computational approach to predict how hazardous substances may affect health based on key changes in cells. Led by April Z. Gu, Ph.D., of the Northeastern University Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center, researchers used machine learning and advanced algorithms to link biological changes from high throughput cell studies with health outcomes observed in animal studies.
  • Texas A&M: Edible therapeutic sorbent technology
    Technology Profile - March 2022
    Timothy Phillips, Ph.D., and team at the Texas A&M University SRP Center developed therapeutic sorbent technology to reduce the ability of hazardous chemicals to harm the body. These edible sorbents decrease exposures by binding to chemicals, like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in the intestines.
  • Extramural Paper of the Month: Leveraging Unused Samples to Predict Metal Exposures
    Paper of the Month - March 2022
    University of Iowa SRP Center researchers demonstrated a robust approach for predicting exposure to arsenic and manganese using a commonly stored but often unused biological sample. As an alternative to using whole blood, their method used only the clotted erythrocyte fraction to track metal exposures.
  • Building trust, sharing data: grantee promotes participatory research
    Environmental Factor - March 2022
    During her Feb. 14 NIEHS Keystone Science Lecture, Monica Ramirez-Andreotta, Ph.D., shared the numerous ways she works with communities to integrate their priorities into environmental health sciences research. The University of Arizona SRP Center researcher directs Gardenroots and Project Harvest, which are citizen science initiatives that engage community members about the health of their soil, water, and plants.
  • Exposure to Airborne PCBs an Ongoing Challenge, Expert Says
    Environmental Factor - March 2022
    Approaches for studying airborne exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls, and helping communities reduce such exposure, were discussed by University of Iowa Superfund Research Program Director Keri Hornbuckle, Ph.D., during her February 4 Keystone Science Lecture.
  • Educational tool highlights COVID-19 and arsenic research
    Environmental Factor - March 2022
    A new online educational resource invites high school students to examine ways that humans are exposed to arsenic and how exposure might influence susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. The tool was developed by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).
  • Changes in gut, liver may contribute to Alzheimers disease susceptibility
    Paper of the Month - March 2022
    NIEHS-funded researchers determined how changes in the gut and liver may contribute to cadmium-induced Alzheimers disease (AD). They previously showed that male mice with a genetic variant called apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), a known risk factor for AD, were most susceptible to the disease following cadmium exposure. Here, they shed light on how cadmium and ApoE4 alter the gut and liver in ways that may promote AD.
  • Leveraging Unused Samples to Predict Metal Exposures
    Paper of the Month - March 2022
    NIEHS-funded researchers at the University of Iowa SRP Center demonstrated a robust approach for predicting exposure to arsenic and manganese using a commonly stored but often unused biological sample. As an alternative to using whole blood, their method used only the clotted erythrocyte fraction to track metal exposures.
  • Leveraging Partners Across Disciplines and Continents
    SRP News Page - February 2022
    A feature on Dartmouth College SRP Center Director Celia Chen, Ph.D., explains how she is leveraging decades of research on Mercury to better understand how people are exposed to per and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
  • Engaging Communities to Improve Well-being
    SRP News Page - February 2022
    Monica Ramirez-Andreotta, Ph.D., from the University of Arizona SRP Center, shared her experience engaging communities in science and her journey from SRP trainee to SRP researcher.
  • New Technique Yields Promising Results for Uranium Removal in the Field
    Research Brief - February 2022
    A technology developed by NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) researchers may remove uranium and other heavy metals from groundwater near abandoned mines. Small business GlycoSurf, LLC worked with partners at the University of Arizona SRP Center to determine the best environmental conditions for effectively removing uranium from contaminated water.
  • Database reveals toxic metals in private well water in NC
    Paper of the Month - February 2022
    Leveraging two decades of well water data in North Carolina (NC), NIEHS-funded researchers reported residents are exposed to arsenic and lead above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Their publicly available database offers a valuable tool for researchers and citizens in the state to identify areas of highest concern.
  • Complexities of PFAS Research Focus of Congressional Hearing
    Environmental Factor - February 2022
    Complexities of studying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were shared by SRP grantees and other experts during a congressional hearing. Witnesses discussed how increased research and development can better inform regulation and strengthen methods for cleaning up PFAS in the environment.
  • Duke Campaign Promotes Safe Fish Consumption
    SRP News Page - January 2022
    New fish consumption advisories in North Carolina were developed using data collected through the NIEHS Superfund SRP Center at Duke University. The goal is to better protect the health of people who collect and eat fish from the Cape Fear River.
  • Biosensor Helps Characterize Contaminants and Health Risks Following Disasters
    Research Brief - January 2022
    A sophisticated biosensor may provide information about contaminant distribution in the aftermath of natural disasters, according to an NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study. Led by former Texas A&M University (TAMU) SRP Center trainee Krisa Camargo and Michael Unger, Ph.D., from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, the team demonstrated this type of tool is useful for quickly characterizing and prioritizing environmental samples for further analysis, particularly in the context of disaster research response.
  • Annual SRP Meeting Highlights Collaboration and Innovation to Address Emerging Challenges
    SRP News Page - January 2022
    The annual meeting to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) was held as an abbreviated virtual event December 16, 2021. Drawing over 400 attendees from across the U.S., the meeting highlighted how SRP's dedication to innovation and collaboration across scientific fields can tackle emerging challenges.
  • Microbiome affects early childhood behavior differently in girls and boys
    Paper of the Month - January 2022
    Bacteria in the gut of young children may relate to behavioral disorders, affecting girls and boys differently, according to an NIEHS-funded study. This is one of the first studies to examine associations between the microbiome, the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in the body, and a broad range of behavioral outcomes that may vary by sex.
  • Plant leaves work as reliable air monitor in citizen-science study
    Paper of the Month - January 2022
    Working with citizen-scientists, NIEHS-funded researchers demonstrated that leaves can be used as a low-cost, reliable method to assess the level of metals in airborne dust. The method can help assess exposure from former mine sites that emit heavy metals that can be distributed by wind to nearby communities.
  • Biosensor characterizes contaminants and potential health risks after disasters
    Paper of the Month - January 2022
    A sophisticated biosensor may provide information about polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) distribution and potential toxicity in the aftermath of natural disasters, according to an NIEHS-funded study. By rapidly characterizing and prioritizing samples for study, the tool supports disaster research response where time and resources are limited.
  • Uncovering a Link Between Chemicals in Dust and Disease
    SRP News Page - December 2021
    Duke SRP Center Co-Director Heather Stapleton, Ph.D., described her research to understand the harmful chemical exposures that people may encounter in their homes and how they affect health.
  • Combined Approach Sheds Light on Global Cancer Risk
    Research Brief - December 2021
    About 90 percent of the global lung cancer risk from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) does not come from benzo(a)pyrene, according to a study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). Some of these compounds are not regularly monitored.
  • UC Riverside & UC Los Angeles: Solar-powered material-microbe interface for PFAS
    Technology Profile - December 2021
    Researchers at the University of California (UC), Riverside and UC Los Angeles are exploring how nanomaterials powered by solar electricity can accelerate the activity of bacteria used to clean up halogenated contaminants such as chlorinated solvents, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and 1,4-dioxane in groundwater.
  • Greenness may reduce effects of air pollution on mortality in cancer patients
    Paper of the Month - December 2021
    Greenness -- vegetation, green spaces, and so forth -- is associated with lower mortality risk in cancer patients, even in the presence of air pollution, according to a new NIEHS-funded study. This is the first study to evaluate associations between greenness and particulate matter (PM2.5) on causes of death in a large, U.S.-based cohort of cancer patients and survivors. Previous studies have independently linked greenness with better health and exposure to outdoor air pollution with worsened health. However, it was not known how these factors may interact to affect mortality risk until now.
  • Metabolomics shed light on the microbiota-brain link
    Paper of the Month - December 2021
    The gut microbiome may control conditions in the brain that could lead to altered brain function, according to an NIEHS-funded study. The gut harbors hundreds of trillions of microbes, collectively called the microbiome. Although emerging studies support that the microbiome may be linked to neurological disorders, whether and how microbes control brain function remains largely unclear.
  • Studying Alligators and Humans May Reveal How PFAS Harm the Immune System
    SRP News Page - November 2021
    Researchers at the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at North Carolina State University (NCSU) are exploring connections between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and immune function in both animals and humans. They are gaining insight into how exposure to PFAS over decades may harm the immune system and the body's ability to fight off infections, including COVID-19.
  • Community-engaged research addresses health concerns on tribal lands
    SRP News Page - November 2021
    Approximately 500,000 Native Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) has long supported community-engaged research with Native American communities to identify strategies to reduce exposures and protect their health. To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, this article recognizes how some SRP researchers address community concerns in Tribal lands.
  • New Passive Sampling Device for PFAS
    Research Brief - November 2021
    Researchers from the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded centers at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and Brown University developed a new type of passive sampling device for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Their new tool overcomes many limitations to traditional approaches, such as detecting short-chain PFAS and low concentrations of the chemicals in water.
  • Health Policy Changes in Germany Informed by Trainee Research
    Environmental Factor - November 2021
    Germany now requires stricter controls for manufacturers using a chemical called 2,4-dichlorobenzoyl peroxide after polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were discovered in fumes from a sealant used on kitchen cabinets. This connection was reported by the University of Iowa SRP Center. Exposure to PCBs has been linked to a range of health problems, including metabolic and neurological diseases and cancer.
  • Tool quantifies differences in DNA repair among individuals
    Paper of the Month - November 2021
    CometChip -- a high-throughput tool developed with NIEHS funds to quantify DNA damage -- can be used to measure differences among individuals in terms of their bodies capacity to repair such damage, according to a recent institute-supported study. That information may help to shed light on how much of a person s disease risk is due to genetic versus environmental factors.
  • Dartmouth SRP Center Helps Young Citizen Scientists Continue Work
    SRP News Page - October 2021
    Researchers at the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded Center at Dartmouth College and collaborators quickly identified challenges and realistic solutions for their citizen science project, All About Arsenic, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Helping Communities Monitor Air Pollution Using Plants
    Research Brief - October 2021
    An NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study revealed that certain plants can be used to effectively monitor metals and other pollutants in air. Community members collected environmental data used in the study as part of the Gardenroots project, which involves residents in research activities to evaluate human and environmental health effects near former and operating mining sites in Arizona. The study was led by University of Arizona SRP Center researcher Monica Ramirez-Andreotta, Ph.D.
  • Brown SRP Researchers and Community Come Together on Narragansett Tribal Lands
    SRP News Page - September 2021
    NIEHS-funded Brown University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center researchers and Narragansett Tribal leaders, long-time partners in community activities, joined forces again. Through their collaboration, they are educating and empowering Tribal members to address their environmental health concerns in a way that connects cultural and scientific knowledge.
  • SRP Researchers Inform PFAS Guidance
    SRP News Page - September 2021
    Involving the community is valuable when adjusting clinical and public health guidance, especially as it relates to the health effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other chemicals of concern.
  • First-of-its-Kind Arsenic Meta-Analysis Paves the Way for Future Data Integration
    Research Brief - September 2021
    Researchers from NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) centers at the University of California (UC), Berkeley and Columbia University used advanced analysis techniques to combine data from populations in Chile and Bangladesh. The purpose was to detect common DNA methylation (DNAm) signatures associated with arsenic exposure.
  • Texas A&M, UC San Diego, & Brown: Toxics Mobility Vulnerability Index
    Technology Profile - September 2021
    Researchers from the Texas A&M University (TAMU), Brown University, and University of California (UC) San Diego SRP Centers developed an online interactive dashboard, called the Toxics Mobility Vulnerability Index (TMVI). Their objective was to display how land use, such as green space or industrial land, interacts with extreme weather and sociodemographic characteristics to affect public health.
  • Scientific art competition showcases trainees' research, imagination
    Environmental Factor - September 2021
    When the COVID-19 pandemic forced university laboratories to shut down or go remote, the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) created an opportunity for trainees to celebrate their research efforts and the stories behind them. Led by SRP Health Scientist Administrator Danielle Carlin, Ph.D., SRP hosted a scientific art competition for trainees.
  • SRP Trainee Event Highlights New Approaches to Engage with Communities
    SRP News Page - August 2021
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainees from institutions across the Southeastern U.S. gathered virtually for a two-day event, Aug. 2 and 4, to discuss best practices for partnering with communities vulnerable to environmental exposures. The event was organized by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of Kentucky (UK), University of Louisville, and University of Alabama at Birmingham SRP centers.
  • UW SRP Researchers Work with Agency Partners to Communicate Risk
    SRP News Page - August 2021
    Researchers from the NIEHS-funded University of Washington (UW) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center found new evidence that environmental contamination from a former smelter in Ruston, Washington may pose a threat to human health in surrounding areas. Before publishing the results, the team reached out to coordinate risk communication strategies with agency partners and share the findings with potentially affected communities.
  • Trainees Get Creative During the Pandemic
    SRP News Page - July 2021
    When in-person events, classes, and research activities were put on hold due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded trainees got creative and identified unique opportunities to pursue safely during the pandemic. With support from their mentors, SRP trainees gained experience across multiple scientific fields, conducted research in a collaborative environment, and engaged with diverse stakeholders and community members.
  • HHEAR Grantee Meeting Highlights Resources for Researchers
    SRP News Page - July 2021
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers from all over the country tuned in for the Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR) June 2021 Virtual Grantee Meeting. The event was hosted by the HHEAR Coordinating Center and the NIEHS Exposure Science and the Exposome Webinar Series.
  • Analyzing Chemicals and Genes Yields Novel Insight into PAH Behavior
    Research Brief - July 2021
    A new NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study revealed how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) breakdown and transform in the presence of ultraviolet A (UVA) light and titanium dioxide nanoparticle pollutants. Their findings have important implications for PAH cleanup, which may not consider how PAHs transform in diverse environments.
  • Better risk communication can reduce harmful exposures, experts say
    Environmental Factor - July 2021
    NIEHS grantees, partners, and colleagues came together to discuss how they have engaged with local groups and communicated potential health risks to reduce exposures and improve health. Hosted by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) June 21-22, the online workshop drew more than 200 participants.
  • Promising new target for oral cancer treatment
    Paper of the Month - July 2021
    NIEHS-funded researchers identified how the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), an environmental chemical receptor, suppresses the body's immune response to oral cancer. They also discovered that removing AhR from cancer cells stops tumor growth. Results identify a new target for treatments that help the immune system fight cancer.
  • Widely used herbicide linked to preterm birth
    Paper of the Month - July 2021
    Exposure to glyphosate, the most heavily used herbicide in the world, was associated with preterm birth, according to a new NIEHS-funded study. It is the first study to assess the link between exposure to a glyphosate breakdown product called aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and birth outcomes.
  • Innovating Environmental Health Communication
    SRP News Page - June 2021
    Former Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Center trainee Diana Rohlman, Ph.D., discussed creative approaches for culturally sensitive community engagement and research translation.
  • Advancing Environmental Justice
    SRP News Page - June 2021
    Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) have been in the spotlight recently for their work on environmental justice (EJ). From being selected for prestigious committees to supporting webinar series, SRP grantees and their partners are addressing the challenges and complexities of EJ.
  • Combined Approach Sheds Light on Factors Controlling Stream Recovery
    Research Brief - June 2021
    Improved water quality and stream ecosystem recovery following treatment of mine waste depends on a mix of physical, chemical, and biological factors, according to a new study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) at the Colorado School of Mines. William Clements, Ph.D., professor at Colorado State University, and two doctoral students, led the study.
  • New marker of COVID-19 severity points to potential therapies
    Paper of the Month - June 2021
    Certain fatty acids in the blood of COVID-19 patients may predict the severity of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and offer a target for treatment, according to a new study from the University of California Davis SRP Center. ARDS involves a buildup of fluid in the lungs and is a leading cause of death in COVID-19 patients.
  • Microbial Insights: Workflow for chlorinated compound biodegradation
    Technology Profile - June 2021
    Researchers at SRP-funded small business Microbial Insights use highly sensitive instruments to analyze metabolites, small molecules that result from different chemical and biological processes. Their goal is to provide key insights on site-specific conditions that affect the ability of bacteria to break down harmful contaminants in the environment.
  • New approach sheds light on PFAS in coastal watersheds
    Paper of the Month - June 2021
    NIEHS-funded researchers developed a new tool to identify and characterize previously undetected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in watersheds on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The team identified a distinct signature for PFAS from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), which is used in firefighting and can contaminate drinking water. However, a large fraction of fluorine could not be explained by AFFF.
  • Researchers pinpoint molecular trigger for lung fibrosis
    Paper of the Month - June 2021
    A new NIEHS-funded study revealed a series of molecular steps that lead to severe scarring in the lungs, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), in response to environmental exposures. The key step involves a modified version of vimentin, a structural protein that usually maintains cellular integrity.
  • DNA repair enzyme controls switch from cancer to tissue damage
    Paper of the Month - June 2021
    NIEHS-funded researchers discovered a DNA-repair molecule that affects susceptibility to disease in mice exposed to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) is known to be an important player in DNA repair, but this study revealed for the first time that too much or too little can control the switch between cancer and lethality.
  • Linking a DNA Repair Enzyme to Cancer Susceptibility
    SRP News Page - May 2021
    Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center uncovered a mechanism that may explain how N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) can lead to DNA damage and cancer in mice.
  • New Technique Sheds Light on PFAS in Coastal Watersheds
    Research Brief - May 2021
    A new analytical workflow, developed by NIEHS Superfund Research Program grantees, can identify and characterize previously undetected per-and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, or PFAS, in contaminated watersheds. The team is led by Elsie Sunderland, Ph.D., of the University of Rhode Island SRP Center, and SRP trainee Brideger Ruyle, a doctoral student at Harvard.
  • Hospitalization following extreme weather, opportunities for resilience
    Paper of the Month - May 2021
    NIEHS-funded researchers observed an increase in respiratory disease and other hospitalizations among older adults following exposure to tropical cyclones, which may help hospitals become better prepared in the future. Tropical cyclone is a generic term used to describe tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
  • Biomarker suggests severity of COVID-19 respiratory distress
    Environmental Factor - May 2021
    In a study funded in part by SRP, researchers at the University of California, Davis reported that certain fatty acids in the blood of COVID-19 patients may predict the severity of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The fatty acids may also offer a target for treatment. ARDS, characterized by fluid buildup in the lungs, is the second leading cause of death in COVID-19 patients, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
  • Hospitalization following extreme weather, opportunities for resilience
    Paper of the Month - May 2021
    NIEHS-funded researchers observed an increase in respiratory disease and other hospitalizations among older adults following exposure to tropical cyclones, which may help hospitals become better prepared in the future. Tropical cyclone is a generic term used to describe tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
  • SRP Welcomes New Individual Research Grants
    SRP News Page - April 2021
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) welcomes 10 newly funded individual research projects. They are incorporating new advances in materials science to optimize bioremediation of contaminants in soil, sediment, or water. Bioremediation is a cost-effective, energy efficient approach involving bacteria, fungi, and plants to break down and remove hazardous substances from the environment. These projects may offer new breakthroughs to advance sustainable solutions for hazardous substances in the environment.
  • SRP Impresses at Virtual SOT
    SRP News Page - April 2021
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers from all over the country tuned in for the virtual 2021 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting and ToxExpo on March 16-26. More than 60 SRP project leaders and trainees from more than 13 SRP Centers gave oral and poster presentations.
  • SRP Grantees Share Innovative Science at Microbiome Conference
    SRP News Page - April 2021
    In an NIEHS virtual symposium, held February 23-24, NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees were well represented within the broader NIEHS community, sharing their efforts to understand the relationship between environmental exposures, the microbiome, and human health.
  • Arsenic Exposure Before Conception May Trigger Diabetes in Male Offspring
    Research Brief - April 2021
    Exposure to inorganic arsenic before conception can alter metabolic outcomes in the offspring of mice, with different effects among males and females, according to a new study. Researchers reported, for the first time, a link between changes in gene expression in parents' reproductive cells and diabetic indicators in offspring.
  • Data science paves the way with new tools, insights for SRP
    Environmental Factor - April 2021
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) held its first External Use Case (EUC) Showcase Feb. 18-19. Over 140 participants joined the meeting to share experiences and recommendations about integrating datasets from SRP-sponsored research. EUCs, developed by collaborations of researchers from different SRP centers, demonstrate specific scenarios in which data management and sharing could provide new insight on research questions and to identify barriers to inform future data efforts.
  • New study sheds light on TCE bioremediation
    Paper of the Month - April 2021
    SRP-funded researchers demonstrated that natural microbial communities amended with acetylene can break down chlorinated contaminants, and in the process, they discovered a new bacteria species. Acetylene, produced in aquifers when certain minerals interact with trichloroethene (TCE), usually interferes with the ability of microbes to dechlorinate TCE. TCE is a chlorinated compound that can contaminate the environment and has been linked to health outcomes like cancer.
  • Modeling and Field Tests Yield Promising Results for Aquifer Clean Up
    Research Brief - March 2021
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees have developed novel, slow-release oxidant-paraffin candles that dissolve and degrade chlorinated contaminants in underground aquifers. The grant recipient, small business AirLift Environmental, worked with partners at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to optimize this groundwater clean-up method and demonstrated its effectiveness in a field study.
  • Bluegrass Advanced Materials: Smart temperature-responsive flocculants for PFAS
    Technology Profile - March 2021
    SRP-funded small business Bluegrass Advanced Materials developed smart temperature responsive copolymer flocculants to remove persistent water-soluble contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), from water. The technology separates solids and liquids by forming flocs, larger aggregations of particles that can more easily be removed from water.
  • Linking Chemical and Nonchemical Mixtures to Health
    SRP News Page - February 2021
    Rachel Morello-Frosh, Ph.D., conducts research to understand how social factors, such as inequality and psychological stress, interact with environmental chemical exposures to influence the health status of different groups.
  • Triclosan and a High-fat Diet Worsen Liver Disease in Mice
    Research Brief - February 2021
    A new study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) shows triclosan exposure, in combination with a high-fat diet, can worsen nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Led by Robert Tukey, Ph.D., researchers at the University of California San Diego SRP Center described the molecular mechanisms by which triclosan alters metabolism and gut microbiota, resulting in fat buildup in the liver.
  • Annual Meeting Satellite Workshops Boost Collaboration
    SRP News Page - February 2021
    Two workshops, held December 16 as part of the first NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) virtual annual meeting, provided forums to delve into data science issues and showcase innovative remediation and detection technologies.
  • Edible sorbents protect against PFAS toxicity
    Paper of the Month - February 2021
    Edible nutrient-amended sorbents can reduce bioavailability and toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ingested via contaminated water and food, found NIEHS grantees. Clay-based sorbents bind toxins in the stomach and intestine, thereby reducing exposure. Here, the researchers tested whether adding the common nutrients carnitine and choline to a clay-based sorbent would enhance PFAS adsorption.
  • New Model to Examine PFAS Sheds Light on Lipid Disruption Mechanisms
    Research Brief - January 2021
    Researchers from the Boston University (BU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center developed a novel study design that generated new insight on the effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on cholesterol regulation in the liver. Led by Jennifer Schlezinger, Ph.D., the team also investigated the effects of PFOA on the human peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (hPPARa), a transcription factor that regulates lipid homeostasis.
  • New Approach to Remove Chemicals from Animal Derived Foods
    SRP News Page - January 2021
    In a new study, funded in part by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), researchers improved an approach to remove persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from foods of animal origin. Michael Denison, Ph.D., from the University of California, Davis SRP Center collaborated with a team of researchers from the European Union Reference Laboratory to test several laboratory methods and develop an improved method for the extraction of lipids and associated POPs bound to animal tissue.
  • SRP Small Business Successfully Deploys Water Testing Technology at the NIH Campus
    SRP News Page - January 2021
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) small business grantee OndaVia, Inc. successfully implemented their water analysis system at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The system uses spectroscopy and nanotechnology to provide instrumentation for rapid, on-site, easy to use, and inexpensive laboratory-grade testing of chemicals in water.
  • Triclosan Worsens Fatty Liver Disease in Mice
    Environmental Factor - January 2021
    NIEHS-funded researchers at the University of California, San Diego found evidence that triclosan, an antimicrobial found in medical soaps and household products, worsens fatty liver disease in mice that ate a high-fat diet. The authors also uncovered molecular mechanisms by which triclosan strips away liver cells natural protections and disrupts both metabolism and the gut microbiome.
  • SRP Centers Expand Scope to Address COVID-19 Research Needs
    SRP News Page - December 2020
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) provided supplemental funding to four centers to expand the focus of their research to address critical knowledge gaps related to exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its disease, COVID-19. In response to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding encourages SRP researchers to address the public health crisis and its disparate effects on vulnerable populations.
  • Improved Sequencing Method Leads to Advancements in Toxicology Research
    Research Brief - December 2020
    NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program scientists are employing a new RNA sequencing method to assess mechanisms of toxicity on a finer and more accessible scale. Researchers in SRP grantee Tim Zacharewski's Lab at the Michigan State University SRP Center conducted the study.
  • Predicting cancer-causing potential of PAH chemicals
    Paper of the Month - December 2020
    NIEHS-funded scientists have developed a method to better predict the cancer-causing potential of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of more than 1,500 chemicals that result from combustion of organic matter and fossil fuels. PAH exposures occur as complex environmental mixtures, making it difficult to tease apart the cancer-causing potential of individual chemicals in the mixture.
  • Picoyune: Miniaturized mercury sensor
    Technology Profile - December 2020
    Researchers at Picoyune, an SRP-funded small business, are developing a miniaturized, low-cost mercury sensor and applying it to personal exposure monitoring. The portable device is a good fit for testing in the field as there is no need for heavy lab equipment or carrier gas. It is also a practical mercury monitor for vulnerable artisanal/small-scale gold mining communities and recently won the 2020 Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge.
  • PFAS profiles in seabirds point to a shift in chemical production
    Paper of the Month - December 2020
    Seabird tissue samples contain high levels of both legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to NIEHS-funded researchers. Study results reflect the shift toward production of new PFAS to replace legacy chemicals. PFAS are a large group of manmade chemicals. Due to their environmental persistence and known impacts on human health, many legacy PFAS have been phased-out of production.
  • Edible Sorbents May Protect Against Metal Toxicity
    Research Brief - November 2020
    A new study from NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center researchers suggests that edible sorbents may be an effective treatment to reduce heavy metal exposure from consumption of contaminated water and food. According to the researchers, this is the first evidence that edible sorbents can bind heavy metal mixtures and protect against their toxicity in a living organism.
  • Remembering Mike Aitken, Esteemed SRP Scholar and Mentor
    SRP News Page - October 2020
    Michael (Mike) Aitken, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, passed away September 19 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Aitken served as a project leader and integral part of the UNC Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center for more than 20 years.
  • New Tool Monitors a Flame Retardant in Sediment
    Research Brief - October 2020
    Researchers at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center developed a new, inexpensive tool to reliably detect small amounts of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in environmental samples. TBBPA is a flame retardant commonly found in household dust, soil, water, sewage, sludge, and sediments.
  • New Approach Links Cell Studies to Human Health
    SRP News Page - September 2020
    A new NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study demonstrated a strategy using data from cell studies to characterize how exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may harm human health, particularly the cardiovascular system. PCBs are a large and complex group of chemicals that often occur in mixtures and can contaminate soil, groundwater, and air.
  • SRP Grantees Part of the Conversation on PFAS
    SRP News Page - September 2020
    A new virtual seminar series is providing an opportunity for researchers to share information on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The first session of the series, which kicked off on July 31 and included more than 400 participants, featured Angela Slitt, Ph.D., of the NIEHS-funded University of Rhode Island Superfund Research Program Center.
  • Toxic Breakdown Products Formed During Contaminant Clean-Up
    Research Brief - September 2020
    Chemical oxidation is a process commonly used to treat water contaminated with aromatic compounds like benzene. But, unexpected and potentially harmful breakdown products may result from this treatment process, according to a recent study from the NIEHS-funded University of California, Berkeley Superfund Research Program Center.
  • Boston University: Integrative Epi-DNA and Gene Expression (iEDGE)
    Technology Profile - September 2020
    Led by Stefano Monti, researchers at the Boston University SRP Center are developing computational tools that use short term toxicity tests to predict long term health outcomes. Their recent tool, iEdge, integrates data to predict changes to DNA that drive cancer.
  • Using Fungi to Clean up Contaminated Soil
    Research Brief - August 2020
    Native fungal communities point to a new way of cleaning up contaminated soil. After conducting a study to characterize fungi found in soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), researchers at the NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program at Duke University discovered a group of fungi that may be promising for remediation.
  • K.C. Donnelly Externships awarded to outstanding Superfund trainees
    Environmental Factor - August 2020
    Eleven outstanding trainees in the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) have won K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements. The annual awards allow trainees to work side-by-side with experts at an outside institution to learn new methods and techniques to enrich their research.
  • Ongoing Duwamish River recovery inspires video series, book
    Environmental Factor - August 2020
    A century ago, engineers and city planners straightened and deepened the Duwamish River to create an industrial center for the young city of Seattle. As the city grew, the waterway became contaminated with sewage, toxic chemicals, and storm water runoff. In 2001, the river was listed as a Superfund site. Now, the University of Washington (UW) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is promoting a new video series and a book, released July 11, to educate people about this important waterway.
  • Clay Layers May Worsen Arsenic Contamination
    Research Brief - July 2020
    Layers of clay are widely thought to protect groundwater aquifers from above-ground contaminants. But according to a new NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) study, these clay layers may play a role in increasing groundwater arsenic contamination.
  • Three-Dimensional Cell Model Enhances DNA Damage Testing
    Research Brief - June 2020
    Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center scientists developed a new platform, known as the SpheroidChip analysis method, to rapidly test for DNA damage in three-dimensional (3D) cell models. Development was led by Bevin Engelward, Sc.D., at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  • UC Davis: Immunoassays to detect hazardous chemicals
    Technology Profile - June 2020
    To address high costs for analyzing toxic substances in the environment as well as the need for more sensitive indicators of exposure to humans, University of California (UC), Davis SRP Center researchers pioneered the use of immunoassay technologies to detect hazardous chemicals. Immunoassays use antibodies to bind to a chemical of interest, and labels on the antibodies measure the presence and concentration of the chemical.
  • Fighting COVID-19 using data science
    Environmental Factor - June 2020
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees and in-house scientists are lending their expertise in data integration and online tool development to explore how COVID-19 spreads and why some communities experience higher risk of infection. The projects described below represent just some of the diverse research underway at SRP centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Arsenic Complicates Groundwater Bioremediation
    Research Brief - May 2020
    A common groundwater contaminant, trichloroethene (TCE), can be reduced by certain bacteria, a process known as bioremediation. But, according to a new NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) study, this process may stall when arsenic is present. TCE, a widely used industrial solvent, pollutes groundwater from improper handling practices.
  • NRF2 activation leads to enlarged liver
    Paper of the Month - May 2020
    An NIEHS-funded study suggested that prolonged activation of a protein nuclear factor called erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) may contribute to liver enlargement and fatty liver diseases. Normally, NRF2 plays an important role in regulating antioxidant defenses. In this study, researchers found that NRF2 also activated a protein called AKT, which is involved in glucose metabolism and other cell processes, and led to persistent production of growth factors associated with liver enlargement.
  • Electrochemical System Degrades PCE in Groundwater
    Research Brief - April 2020
    An electrochemical system can effectively break down tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in groundwater, according to a new study from the NIEHS-funded Northeastern University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. After testing different design parameters to determine the best conditions for degrading PCE, the researchers achieved 86 percent removal of the contaminant from groundwater sources.
  • Bangladeshi officials learn how NIEHS research helps their country
    Environmental Factor - April 2020
    Fifty officials from the Bangladesh Ministry of Public Administration visited NIEHS Mar. 5 to learn how the institute advances environmental health research in the United States and abroad - including in their home country. The afternoon visit was part of a two-week public policy course offered by the Duke Center for International Development
  • Environmental risks visualized through new online tools
    Environmental Factor - April 2020
    Scientists funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) developed online tools to inform local communities about potential environmental health risks. The researchers hail from the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) and Texas A&M University (TAMU).
  • Plants take up heavy metals, help reduce pollution
    Environmental Factor - April 2020
    Julian Schroeder, Ph.D., visited NIEHS Feb. 24 to speak about his institute-funded research into how plants respond to environmental stress from toxic metals. The University of California at San Diego (UCSD) professor's talk was part of the Keystone Science Lecture Seminar Series.
  • High-Fiber Diet May Protect Against Harmful Health Effects of PCBs
    Research Brief - March 2020
    Two new NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) studies showed how a type of dietary fiber, inulin, may protect against heart disease, including heart disease resulting from exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). According to University of Kentucky SRP Center researchers, a diet high in inulin may reduce or modify certain lipids associated with an increased chance of developing cardiovascular problems and may protect against adverse cardiovascular effects caused by environmental toxicants.
  • Oral histories shed light on exposures near Superfund sites
    Environmental Factor - March 2020
    A new collection of oral histories from people who work and live near two Arizona Superfund sites was posted online in January. The community-driven Voices Unheard project captures video accounts, photos, and descriptions from communities near the Tucson International Airport Area and the Iron King Mine-Humboldt Smelter Superfund sites.
  • MIT: CometChip assay to detect DNA damage
    Technology Profile - March 2020
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) SRP Center researchers developed a new screening method that can detect a broad range of DNA damage in cells, including a common type of damage known as a bulky lesion. According to the researchers, this new method fills a gap in DNA damage testing and could make chemical safety testing faster, easier, and more accurate.
  • PAH and Hypoxia Exposure Result in Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Fish
    Research Brief - February 2020
    Zebrafish exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water with inadequate oxygen, or hypoxia, can experience a broad range of effects on the mitochondria, according to an NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study. Changes to the function and integrity of mitochondria, which are organelles that make energy for the cell, can disrupt metabolism and reduce organism fitness and performance.
  • New quick screen for different types of DNA damage
    Paper of the Month - February 2020
    NIEHS grantees developed a new screening method that can detect a broad range of DNA damage in cells. According to the authors, this new method fills a gap in DNA damage testing and could make chemical safety testing faster, easier, and more accurate.
  • Exposure research bolstered by new NIEHS resource
    Environmental Factor - February 2020
    NIEHS is expanding access to exposure analysis resources, giving scientists advanced tools to better understand how the interaction of various environmental factors can affect health.
  • Cadmium Exposure Impairs Production of Neurons Responsible for Learning and Memory
    Research Brief - January 2020
    A new study funded by the Superfund Research Program (SRP) shows cadmium exposure can impair new neurons from forming and maturing in the hippocampus region of the brain. Led by Zhengui Xia, Ph.D., the researchers at the University of Washington (UW) SRP Center also found that cadmium can lead to the death of stem cells that produce these neurons. In people, learning and memory formation depends on the production of new neurons in this region of the brain.
  • River tour during SRP meeting spotlights local perspectives
    Environmental Factor - January 2020
    On the last day of the 2019 NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Annual Meeting, held Nov. 18-20 in Seattle, participants were offered a boat tour of the Duwamish River. Organized by meeting hosts from the University of Washington (UW) SRP Center, the tour spotlighted the history of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site and the community groups that have worked to protect the river as a cultural resource.
  • Nanotube Sensor Detects Nitrosamines in Air
    Research Brief - December 2019
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology Superfund Research Program researchers have developed a sensitive and inexpensive carbon nanotube-based sensor that can measure N-nitrosamines in air.
  • Superfund Wetterhahn Award goes to Elana Elkin
    Environmental Factor - December 2019
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) announced that Elana Elkin, Ph.D., is the 22nd recipient of the annual Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award. Elkin is a trainee in the Northeastern University Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center. The announcement was made in Seattle on Nov. 19, during the SRP annual meeting.
  • Microvi Biotechnologies: MicroNiche Engineering platform for organic compounds
    Technology Profile - December 2019
    Microvi Biotechnologies, Inc., an SRP-funded small business, has recently shown unprecedented removal rates of 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) and co-contaminants using its co-metabolism treatment technology. TCP, which was historically used in solvents and soil fumigants, can leech into groundwater and subsequently household drinking water. It has been associated with increased risk for cancer along with various illnesses, including liver or kidney disease.
  • Endocrine disruptor identification begins with biology
    Environmental Factor - December 2019
    A consensus statement that lays out 10 key characteristics of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) could provide a universal framework for assessing risks these chemicals present. The statement, published Nov. 12 in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, was co-written by NIEHS-funded scientists and funded in part by the Research Translation Core of the NIEHS Superfund Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley.
  • North Carolina scientists, policymakers take on PFAS
    Environmental Factor - December 2019
    Toxicologists, policy analysts, industry and community representatives, and North Carolina state legislators met Oct. 23-24 in Durham for a summit on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Those man-made chemicals exist in many products, such as nonstick cookware and firefighting foam.
  • Modeling Approaches Estimate Exposure and Simulate Impacts on Health
    Research Brief - November 2019
    Researchers from the Boston University (BU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center developed and applied novel statistical models to cost-effectively predict chemical exposures and their associated harm to human health in large populations. These statistically powerful approaches can address the challenges of measuring exposures for large populations and quantifying the health benefits of exposure reduction.
  • Grantees share history and research through video series
    Environmental Factor - November 2019
    A new video tour showcases the history, challenges, and resilience of the community surrounding the New Bedford, Massachusetts Superfund site and NIEHS-supported research to improve the health and well-being of local residents.
  • Chemicals alter fat cells, disrupt healthy metabolism
    Environmental Factor - November 2019
    Chemicals can work differently through the same biological receptor to generate different types of fat cells and disrupt healthy metabolic functions, according to Stephanie Kim, Ph.D., in an Oct. 21 lecture at NIEHS.
  • Collaborative Cross Mice Can Fill Data Gaps in Risk Assessment
    Research Brief - October 2019
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees showed how the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse model, which uses genetically diverse mice to capture over 90 percent of known mouse genetic variations, can account for individual differences in susceptibility to environmental chemicals. Led by Ivan Rusyn, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M University SRP Center, researchers measured variability in kidney toxicity and metabolism in CC mice after exposing them to tetrachloroethylene (PERC).
  • Collaborative Cross mice reveal different susceptibilities
    Paper of the Month - September 2019
    NIEHS grantees found that the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse model - which uses genetically diverse mice to capture over 90 of the known mouse genetic variations can account for individual differences in susceptibility to environmental chemicals. Using the CC mouse model, researchers measured individual variability in kidney toxicity after exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PERC), a solvent frequently used in dry cleaning solutions, adhesives, and metal degreasers.
  • Northeastern University: Mobile report-back app
    Technology Profile - September 2019
    The Northeastern University Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center and its partners at the Silent Spring Institute developed a mobile app to report individual research results back to study participants. The app was designed specifically for PROTECT and was adapted from the Silent Spring Institute's computer-based Digital Exposure Report-Back Interface (DERBI). App developers incorporated suggestions from PROTECT's Community Advisory Committee and Stakeholder Committee, which is composed of PROTECT participants. The DERBI app is available to study participants in both English and Spanish.
  • Suk promotes children's environmental health in Asia-Pacific
    Environmental Factor - September 2019
    Bill Suk, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Hazardous Substances Research Branch, brought his passion for improving children's environmental health (CEH) to Thailand, where he spent six months through a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program award.
  • PCBs Alter Glucose Regulation Differently in Males and Females
    Research Brief - August 2019
    Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) affects glucose regulation during weight loss differently in male and female mice, according to a new Superfund Research Program (SRP) study. The researchers discovered that differences were related to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a protein involved in the regulation of various biological responses and cell maintenance in the body.
  • New Hampshire arsenic rule builds on NIEHS-funded research
    Environmental Factor - August 2019
    New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill July 12 that sharply lowers the state's drinking water limit for arsenic. The new rule, informed by research and outreach efforts from NIEHS grantees at the Dartmouth College Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, cuts the state standard in half from the federal level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) to 5 ppb.
  • Blocking mosquitoes with a graphene shield
    Environmental Factor - August 2019
    An innovative graphene-based film helps shield people from disease-carrying mosquitoes, according to a new study funded by NIEHS. The research, conducted by the Brown University Superfund Research Center, was published Aug. 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
  • Model Predicts PAH Levels in Important Tribal Food Source
    Research Brief - July 2019
    A sediment passive sampling model can be used to accurately predict the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in butter clams, according to a recent Superfund Research Program (SRP) study. Led by Kim Anderson, Ph.D., of the Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Center, the research team worked closely with tribal leaders to better predict PAH levels in butter clams while having a minimal impact on this important resource.
  • Giant ocean viruses make unique, important enzymes
    Environmental Factor - July 2019
    A new NIEHS-funded study found that giant viruses, which have genomes larger than 300 kilobase pairs and protein shell diameters greater than 200 nanometers, have genes that encode for unique enzymes called cytochrome P450. Giant viruses are found in deep seas and oceans worldwide. In animals, P450 enzymes metabolize drugs and fatty acids, make steroid hormones, and defend against pollutants.
  • New Method Quickly Screens Chemicals for Cancer Risk
    Research Brief - June 2019
    Boston University (BU) researchers, in collaboration with researchers at the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the Broad Institute, have developed and evaluated a new approach to assess whether exposure to a chemical increases a person's long-term cancer risk. The fast, cost-effective method uses gene expression profiling, which measures the activity of a thousand or more genes to capture what is happening in a cell. Based on gene expression profiling data, the researchers were able to infer specific biological changes at the cellular level and predict potential carcinogenicity of chemicals, or the ability of chemicals to cause cancer.
  • K.C. Donnelly Awards go to NIEHS Superfund trainees
    Environmental Factor - June 2019
    Since its beginning in 2011, 47 NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainees have received K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements to enrich their research with work at another institution. Jill Riddell and Nabil Shaikh, both doctoral candidates, shared the 2019 award.
  • CycloPure, Inc: DEXSORB+ PFAS removal
    Technology Profile - June 2019
    SRP-funded small business CycloPure, Inc., has developed a new product, DEXSORB+, which works to rapidly remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from contaminated water supplies. CycloPure recently announced that in addition to SRP funding, they have raised an additional $3.5 million to accelerate the commercialization of their DEXSORB products. This will help them to make the technology available to consumers and municipal drinking water plants impacted by PFAS and other contaminants.
  • New method quickly screens chemicals for cancer-causing potential
    Environmental Factor - May 2019
    Scientists developed a fast, accurate, and cost-effective way to assess whether a chemical is potentially carcinogenic. The work involved a collaboration between researchers at the National Toxicology Program (NTP), Boston University, and the Broad Institute. Funded in part by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), the study was published April 9 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives
  • Nitrous Oxide Halts Breakdown of Chlorinated Compounds
    Research Brief - April 2019
    A new Superfund Research Program (SRP) study showed that nitrous oxide (N2O), a groundwater contaminant commonly generated from agricultural runoff, inhibits bacterial degradation of certain chlorinated contaminants, including tetrachloroethene (PCE). The study may explain why bioremediation, or the use of bacteria to break down compounds, can stall at some hazardous waste sites.
  • New tool rapidly evaluates chemical effects on cells
    Paper of the Month - April 2019
    NIEHS grantees have developed a new toxicity test that can measure the effects of chemicals on cell survival. The tool is much faster than the gold standard cell survival tool and more sensitive than other rapid cell toxicity tests.
  • Passive Samplers Tackle PCB Flux
    Research Brief - March 2019
    Researchers from the University of Iowa Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center have developed a method to measure the movement, or flux, of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from water to air using passive sampling devices.
  • Texas workshop prepares trainees for disaster research
    Environmental Factor - March 2019
    The Texas A&M University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center hosted a first-of-its-kind Disaster Research Training Workshop Dec. 17-18, focused on training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
  • UNC Chapel Hill: Composite Integrative Passive Sampler
    Technology Profile - March 2019
    Damian Shea, Ph.D., has invented a novel, patent-pending concept for fabricating a mixed-phase polymer passive sampling device as part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SRP Center. The device, known as the Composite Integrative Passive Sampler (CIPS), measures chronic exposure to and bioavailability of chemicals and their metabolites. Shea also has created a new start-up company, Statera Environmental, Inc., to develop, market, and distribute this technology.
  • Promising Membrane Technology Reduces Chlorobenzene in Groundwater
    Research Brief - February 2019
    A new Superfund Research Program collaboration has developed a promising groundwater cleanup technology that provides an efficient, low-maintenance method of removing chlorobenzene and other compounds from water. The method integrates electrochemical oxidation, which uses electricity to transform contaminants into non-toxic substances, and membranes containing palladium (Pd), a metal used as a catalyst in many industrial chemical synthesis applications and groundwater treatment.
  • New houseplant enhances cleanup of air in homes
    Paper of the Month - February 2019
    Scientists previously funded by NIEHS developed a houseplant that can remove chloroform and benzene from the air around it. Benzene in the home can originate from outside air, fuel storage in attached garages, and tobacco smoke. Chloroform can be released into the air in small amounts from water during showering.
  • Greener neighborhoods linked to better heart health
    Paper of the Month - February 2019
    Living in green neighborhoods may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing the body's stress and boosting its ability to repair blood vessels, according to a new study by NIEHS grantees. Previous studies linking lower risk of cardiovascular disease with green spaces mainly relied on subjective questionnaires. This study is the first to provide direct evidence of physiological changes in people associated with living in green spaces.
  • Study Sheds Light on Respiratory Toxicity of EPFRs
    Research Brief - January 2019
    A new SRP study explains how particulate matter (PM) containing environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). AhR is known to play an important role in detecting and responding to a variety of pollutants. These findings could prove useful in understanding the underlying mechanism of diseases known to be associated with inhalation of PM, such as cardiovascular disease.
  • Greenness may promote heart health
    Environmental Factor - January 2019
    Living in green neighborhoods could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in susceptible individuals by decreasing the body's stress and boosting its ability to repair blood vessels, according to new research funded by NIEHS.
  • New method links metal mixture to reduced fetal growth
    Paper of the Month - December 2018
    NIEHS grantees determined that exposure to a mixture of metals predominated by arsenic and cadmium was associated with reduced fetal growth. Although previous studies showed independent associations between arsenic and cadmium exposures and fetal growth restriction, this study was the first to demonstrate that the effects of these metals persist even after accounting for the presence of other metals.
  • Edenspace Systems Corp: Endophytes in poplar trees degrade TCE
    Technology Profile - December 2018
    SRP small business grantees at Edenspace Systems Corporation developed a method using endophytes, symbiotic microbes that live within plants, to boost poplar trees' speed and effectiveness at capturing and removing trichloroethylene (TCE) from groundwater and then degrading it.
  • Suk wins coveted Fulbright to work in Thailand
    Environmental Factor - December 2018
    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Director William Suk, Ph.D., will depart in late December for a six-month stay in Thailand, thanks to a coveted Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
  • Superfund Wetterhahn Award goes to Stephanie Kim
    Environmental Factor - December 2018
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) announced Stephanie Kim of Boston University (BU) as the 21st recipient of the annual Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award. The announcement was made Nov. 29, during the SRP Annual Meeting in Sacramento, California.
  • Caspase-2 enzyme implicated in fatty liver disease
    Paper of the Month - November 2018
    NIEHS grantees discovered that a protein-cleaving enzyme known as caspase-2 is a major driver of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is the most aggressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). They reported that caspase-2 controls the buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides in liver tissue by activating sterol regulatory element binding proteins, the master regulators of fatty tissue formation in the liver.
  • PFAS contamination spurs university research collaboration
    Environmental Factor - November 2018
    Researchers from across North Carolina gathered at Duke University Sept. 28 for a symposium on an emerging class of contaminants called PFAS. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, or PFAS, are persistent compounds that have been found in the environment, including drinking water. NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program currently support several research studies related to PFAS.
  • Researchers respond quickly after Hurricane Florence
    Environmental Factor - November 2018
    After Hurricane Florence devastated parts of North and South Carolina in September, current and former NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees hit the ground running to test for pollution. As soon as they could reach areas affected by severe flooding, SRP researchers teamed up to take air, soil, and water samples in an effort to characterize contaminants that might be present, including concentrations and likely sources.
  • PAH cleanup may worsen toxicity
    Environmental Factor - October 2018
    According to research by Staci Simonich, Ph.D., some of the products formed during the breakdown of pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may be more toxic than the original compounds.
  • Connection between genes, response to environmental chemicals
    Paper of the Month - September 2018
    NIEHS grantees developed a new method to identify individual-level genetic variation in response to chemical exposures. The approach, which linked zebrafish studies and bioinformatic approaches, might help identify new genetic factors that explain differences in chemical sensitivity.
  • PCE exposure linked to stillbirth risk, NIEHS grantee says
    Environmental Factor - September 2018
    Pregnant women who drank water contaminated with the solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were up to twice as likely to have a stillbirth because of placental dysfunction, according to a NIEHS-funded study published July 3 in the journal Environmental Health. PCE is a solvent frequently used in dry cleaning solutions, adhesives, and other commercial products. The solvent is also called perchloroethylene, or perc.
  • Environmental chemistry goes high-tech
    Environmental Factor - August 2018
    P. Lee Ferguson, Ph.D., from Duke University, develops sophisticated methods to answer important questions like, What chemicals are in your drinking water? What about inside your home?
  • Computational tool predicts chemical toxicity
    Paper of the Month - August 2018
    NIEHS grantees and colleagues developed a computational tool that uses the properties of a chemical to predict its toxicity. They determined that the tool can predict a toxicity value with an error of less than a factor of 10, making it useful for quickly assessing relative risks of chemicals for which traditional toxicity data or human health assessments are unavailable.
  • How carcinogens turn liver cells into cancer cells
    Paper of the Month - August 2018
    A new study by NIEHS grantees and colleagues explains how DNA damage to liver cells can potentially lead to liver cancer. The researchers looked at CD44 proteins, which are located on the cell surface and are involved in binding with other molecules. They found that CD44 proteins may play a role in overriding the body's natural protective response to DNA damage.
  • Enzyme plays key role in Parkinson's disease
    Paper of the Month - July 2018
    New research by NIEHS grantees and colleagues suggested an enzyme in the brain plays a key role in Parkinson's disease (PD). Scientists demonstrated that inhibiting the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) in mice helped curb the inflammation associated with the development and progression of PD.
  • Millions of dollars saved by NIEHS-funded technologies
    Environmental Factor - July 2018
    More than $100 million was saved through the adoption of tools supported by the Superfund Research Program (SRP), according to a commentary published June 15 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The tools also led to additional benefits to society, including hazardous substance remediation and site monitoring.
  • Web resources could assist chemical risk management
    Environmental Factor - July 2018
    Two new papers describe publicly accessible web-based tools for exploring environmental chemicals and predicting their risk. These resources will help health policymakers to make faster and more accurate decisions about chemical safety and the need for remediation efforts.
  • Eight Superfund trainees win K.C. Donnelly Externships
    Environmental Factor - July 2018
    Eight trainees in the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) have won the K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements. These competitive awards enable fellows to extend their studies to other SRP-funded centers, government laboratories, or state, local, or tribal government agencies.
  • Kitchen cabinets emit potentially harmful PCBs
    Paper of the Month - June 2018
    NIEHS grantees discovered that finished cabinetry is a predominant and previously unknown source of airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in residential homes.
  • Enzyme plays key role in Parkinson's disease and inflammation
    Environmental Factor - June 2018
    New research partially funded by NIEHS suggests an enzyme in the brain plays a key role in Parkinson's disease (PD). Scientists demonstrated that inhibiting an enzyme known as soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) can help curb the inflammation associated with the development and progression of PD.
  • PowerTech Water LLC: INICION metals filtration
    Technology Profile - June 2018
    Researchers at PowerTech Water LLC are developing an affordable and widely adoptable solution to remove lead and other toxic metals from drinking water.
  • Distinguished Lecture highlights mechanisms of liver cancer
    Environmental Factor - June 2018
    NIEHS Distinguished Lecturer Michael Karin, Ph.D., began his presentation by saying the war on cancer has been successful- except when it comes to liver cancer. According to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has seen a significant reduction in mortality from organ-specific cancers in the past 30 years. Nonetheless, the nation s incidence of liver cancer tripled during the same time, with a three percent increase each year. Karin wants to know why liver cancer is the outlier. Could what Americans eat be responsible?
  • NIEHS brings environmental focus to One Health meeting
    Environmental Factor - June 2018
    Scientists, researchers, professionals, and government representatives from more than 35 countries gathered April 29-May 2 to explore new solutions to pressing global health issues and to promote interdisciplinary collaborations. The One Medicine One Science (OMOS) consortium focuses on the science behind One Health, which is a strategy for expanding collaborations in all aspects of health for humans, animals, and the environment.
  • Atherosclerosis as a model for studying combined exposures
    Environmental Factor - May 2018
    In the first workshop of its kind, clinicians, psychologists, and researchers gathered at NIEHS April 3-4 to explore approaches for studying interactions in the body from exposures to both chemicals and nonchemical stressors. Organizers from NIEHS and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) selected atherosclerosis as the model disease for the workshop because both types of exposures are known to play a role in its development.
  • Toxin formed during oxidative water treatment process
    Paper of the Month - April 2018
    Common water treatment methods that remove phenols and other hazardous compounds may produce low levels of toxic byproducts, according to a new study by NIEHS grantees. Phenols, which can contaminate drinking water, are often removed with a water treatment process that converts hydrogen peroxide into hydroxyl radicals using ultraviolet (UV) light. In this process, hydroxyl radicals oxidize the phenols, transforming them into other compounds.
  • Karletta Chief featured in Science Friday film
    Environmental Factor - April 2018
    NIEHS grantee Karletta Chief, Ph.D., caught the attention of producers of Breakthrough: Portraits of Women in Science, a collection of short films sponsored by Science Friday and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The film on Chief, "Breakthrough: Bitter Water," is the last of the six films in the series. Released in January, it tells the story of her family roots and the goals of her scientific research.
  • Breast cancer link to environment highlighted at symposium
    Environmental Factor - April 2018
    Researchers supported by NIEHS are working to gain a deeper understanding of environmental factors with potential links to breast cancer. They and others spoke March 9 during "Breast Cancer and the Environment", a symposium sponsored by the Duke University Program in Environmental Health and Toxicology and the Duke Superfund Research Center
  • Thirty years of Superfund research for innovation and health
    Environmental Factor - March 2018
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) marked its 30th anniversary at the annual meeting Dec. 6-8 in Philadelphia. SRP researchers, administrators, trainees, and other partners shared findings and discussed experiences with community engagement and research translation. The meeting was hosted by the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) SRP Center
  • EnChem Engineering: Two-phase PFAS removal process
    Technology Profile - March 2018
    As part of an SRP small business project, researchers at EnChem Engineering, Inc., are developing a technology to expedite removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from soil and groundwater.
  • Berkeley - thirty years of innovative research in environmental health
    Environmental Factor - March 2018
    For three decades, the Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley SRP) has been at the forefront of important scientific discoveries, launching new programs and research initiatives. At a Jan. 30 event, titled "Celebrating 30 Years of Science for a Safer World," researchers and program partners looked back at the center's history and how it has evolved to meet new research needs.
  • NIEHS-funded papers inform efforts to reduce mercury pollution
    Environmental Factor - March 2018
    A suite of new articles describes the latest science on the fate and effects of mercury. The articles inform activities under the Minamata Convention, a global treaty on mercury that was ratified in August 2017. The papers were published in a special section of the journal Ambio, in the March 2018 issue.
  • Possible explanation for male and female cardiovascular differences
    Paper of the Month - March 2018
    NIEHS grantees discovered that estrogen can block the function of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), an enzyme in cells that degrades chemically stable fatty acid metabolites. Because inhibition of sEH can be cardioprotective, this finding may help explain why women generally have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than men.
  • New tumor-promoting pathway for liver cancer discovered
    Paper of the Month - January 2018
    A new study from NIEHS grantees showed that chronic liver inflammation can promote cancer by suppressing one of the body's natural mechanisms to fight cancer development. The discovery of this new tumor-promoting pathway could lead to new liver cancer treatments.
  • Angela Gutierrez honored with 2017 Wetterhahn Award
    Environmental Factor - January 2018
    The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) selected Angela Gutierrez, from the University of Kentucky SRP Center, as the 20th recipient of the Wetterhahn Memorial Award. The announcement of the 2017 winner was made at the Dec. 7 SRP 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.
  • Technology Profile: BioCement Technologies
    Technology Profile - November 2017
    As part of an SRP-funded small business project, researchers at Biocement Technologies are developing a way to stimulate native soil bacteria to cement together particles in soil, including heavy metals, locking them into structures so they cannot migrate into groundwater.
  • Technology Profile: Picoyune
    Technology Profile - August 2017
    Researchers at Picoyune, an SRP-funded small business, are developing a reliable, portable, and easy-to-use device to detect mercury in solid and liquid samples. They hope the device will replace complex and costly equipment used to monitor mercury before and during remediation at contaminated sites.
  • Technology Profile: Lynntech, Inc.
    Technology Profile - February 2017
    Researchers at Lynntech, an SRP-funded small business, are developing a field deployable vapor intrusion monitor that pre-concentrates volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with high selectivity.
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Last Reviewed: April 09, 2025