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News Items: University of Rhode Island

Superfund Research Program

Sources, Transport, Exposure & Effects of PFAS (STEEP) Center

Center Director: Rainer Lohmann
Grant Number: P42ES027706
Funding Period: 2017-2027
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News Items List

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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, climate-related disasters, 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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