Superfund Research Program

Research Translation Core

Project Leader: Charlotte Clark
Grant Number: P42ES010356
Funding Period: 2005-2022

Project-Specific Links

Final Progress Reports

Year:   2016 

In September, the Research Translation Core (RTC), in collaboration with the Analytical Chemistry Core, held a public webinar for 180 participants in the furniture foam flame retardant (FR) screening study. A recent RTC/ACC publication (Cooper et al. 2016) described a significant decrease in FR detections in furniture products and child car seats, suggesting the use of additive FRs in PUF may be declining. The RTC continues to assist with translating sample results to study participants, and developed an interview guide for a qualitative evaluation of the study's impact on changing participants' behaviors, to be completed in spring 2017. Since 2014, the RTC has worked with community members in the Elizabeth River area, VA to evaluate the impact of fish consumption advisories and their effect on fishing and fish consumption behaviors. The RTC also began collaborating with community-based organizations in southeastern North Carolina to investigate concerns about potential exposure to contaminants through subsistence fish consumption. Results will be used to create an educational campaign on safe fish consumption, inform regional fish consumption advisory policy, and to train data collectors as community health educators on the topic. RTC faculty and staff are leading a team of master’s students in conducting initial research on the extent and characteristics of exposures to potential contaminants in soil and from pesticide use in community gardens throughout the state. Results of this and other projects will inform a social marketing campaign and an interactive online map for gardeners to assess potential for soil contamination, and findings will be reported back to key partners by summer 2017.