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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

News Items: University of Iowa

Superfund Research Program

Airborne PCBs: Sources, Exposures, Toxicities, Remediation

Center Director: Keri C. Hornbuckle
Grant Number: P42ES013661
Funding Period: 2006-2025
View this project in the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT)

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News Items List

  • 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. Donnely externships. These awards allow trainees to build their research capacity at other SRP centers or government agencies through innovative, collaborative research projects.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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Last Reviewed: March 17, 2025