Superfund Research Program
Elucidating Risks: From Exposure and Mechanism to Outcome
Center Director: Rebecca C. Fry
Grant Number: P42ES005948
Funding Period: 1992-2018
Program Links
News Items List
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Paper of the Month: Key Gene Expression Changes in the Placenta May Predict Autism Diagnosis
Paper of the Month - August 2023
Researchers partly funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) identified key changes in placental gene expression that are associated with the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children born preterm. The study was led by a team at the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill SRP Center.
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Pregnant moms' response to arsenic linked to sex of fetus
Environmental Factor - September 2017
How a pregnant woman metabolizes arsenic may be affected by the sex of her fetus, and a male child may be at increased risk for adverse health outcomes. These and other findings were presented Aug. 8 by Elizabeth Martin, Ph.D., at the annual NIEHS Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award lecture. Martin is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).
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Using cutting-edge epigenetic research to inform decision making
Environmental Factor - June 2017
Data from epigenetic research can be incorporated into the risk assessment process and used to inform regulatory decisions, according to Rebecca Fry, Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Fry presented her research on inorganic arsenic as a case study during the May 4 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Cutting Edge Speaker Series in Research Triangle Park (RTP).
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Prenatal Arsenic Exposure Alters Newborn Metabolite Profiles
Research Brief - April 2017
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Superfund Research Program (UNC SRP) Center have identified metabolites in umbilical cord blood that are associated with exposure to arsenic in the womb. The findings also show that differences in a mother's metabolism of arsenic may influence the metabolite profile of her baby. Assessing changes in the newborn's metabolite profile by looking at the full range of metabolites, or metabolome, may provide insight into how prenatal arsenic exposure could affect important pathways responsible for maintaining normal cell processes in the body.
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Using Surfactants to Enhance Bioremediation of PAHs in Soil
Research Brief - February 2017
A second-stage treatment using low levels of surfactants, which are commonly used as dispersing agents, may be a promising method to maximize removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at hazardous waste sites, according to findings from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Superfund Research Program (UNC SRP) Center. Researchers identified specific surfactants that enhanced the removal of PAHs from previously treated soil by making the chemicals more accessible for degradation by bacteria.
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New method for evaluating chemical alternatives
Paper of the Month - November 2016
An NIEHS grantee and colleagues developed and demonstrated a new method for quickly evaluating the health impacts of existing complex substances. The new approach could help minimize toxicity testing in animals, especially when assessing chemical alternatives.
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Fry leads community talk on metals exposure and health
Environmental Factor - November 2016
Rebecca Fry, Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), presented the first Tarheel Tox Talk, a new public outreach program from the UNC Curriculum in Toxicology. The informal, community presentation at a Chapel Hill restaurant Oct. 4 focused on metal contamination, especially that caused by inorganic arsenic, in drinking water.
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Six promising Superfund trainees receive K.C. Donnelly awards
Environmental Factor - September 2016
Six promising NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainees were awarded K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements to fund their research at other institutions. The annual award, now in its sixth year, honors the memory of longtime SRP grantee and environmental health researcher Kirby (K.C.) Donnelly, Ph.D.
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Community guide for eating fish from North Carolinas Triangle area
Environmental Factor - August 2016
A new guide will help local anglers identify fish that are safe to eat, thanks to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. The new website and brochure provide health advisories on consumption of fish caught in the North Carolina Triangle area.
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New Breakthrough in Understanding Gene Regulation
Research Brief - June 2016
A team of researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Superfund Research Program (UNC SRP) Center and Yale University developed a new method to study DNA modifications that led them to a paradigm-shifting discovery of a new mechanism of gene regulation in mouse cells.
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Summit addresses safe drinking water from private wells
Environmental Factor - December 2015
NIEHS staff and grantees joined the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative (EHC) Oct. 26-27 for its 2015 Environmental Health Summit, Safe Water from Every Tap, which examined the quality of drinking water from private wells in North Carolina.
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Placental cadmium linked to increased risk of preeclampsia
Environmental Factor - November 2015
Cadmium levels in the placenta during pregnancy are associated with the risk of developing preeclampsia, according to a recent NIEHS-funded study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center.
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UNC Environmental Resource Program recognized for partnerships and community service
Environmental Factor - May 2015
The NIEHS-funded Environmental Resource Program (ERP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) was honored for its partnerships with North Carolina organizations and its project to communicate fish consumption advisories to people who may eat fish caught in contaminated waterways.
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SRP network helps parents understand vapor intrusion in schools
Environmental Factor - March 2015
NIEHS-funded experts on vapor intrusion joined a meeting Feb. 9 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to educate communities in two schools located over contaminated groundwater about potential health effects of chemical exposures.
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Investigating the Newborn Proteome: Prenatal Arsenic Exposure and Altered Protein Expression
Research Brief - May 2014
Scientists have identified changes in biological pathways that are associated with prenatal arsenic exposure. This research, led by Rebecca Fry, Ph.D., at the University of North Carolina Superfund Research Program (UNC SRP), is the largest protein-based study of an arsenic pregnancy cohort to date.
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UNC Superfund scientists study effects of Dan River coal ash spill
Environmental Factor - April 2014
n response toone of the largest coal ash spills in the nation's history, a team of NIEHS-funded scientists led by Damian Shea, Ph.D., joined forces with state and federal regulatory agencies to help answer important questions about the toxic chemicals present in the coal ash.
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Duke and UNC SRP scientists connect with journalists
Environmental Factor - April 2014
To help the public better understand the real-world applications of their research, the NIEHS-funded Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Research Translation Cores (RTC) co-hosted a workshop March 5-6, focused on communicating science to the media.
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UNC SRP trainee develops chemical risk assessment interface
Environmental Factor - March 2014
Andy Shapiro, a Master of Science in Public Health student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), recently presented a series of webinars on the Health Assessment Workplace Collaborative (HAWC), an online workspace designed to simplify the complex process of conducting chemical risk assessments.