Superfund Research Program
The UNC Chapel Hill Superfund Research Program
Center Director: Rebecca C. Fry
Grant Number: P42ES031007
Funding Period: 2020-2025
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News Items List
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Combining Information on Chemical Exposures and Social Stressors Reveals Differences in Health Burden
Paper of the Month - January 2025
SRP-funded researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill integrated information on chemical exposures and self-reported social stressors to reveal differences exposure and stress burdens that may underly differences in health.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Extramural Paper of the Month: Body Weight and Arsenic Exposure Interact to Worsen Type 2 Diabetes Indicators in Mice
Environmental Factor - March 2023
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SRP Center uncovered complex interactions between exposure to arsenic, body weight and composition, and indicators of type 2 diabetes in Diversity Outbred (DO) mice. DO mice better capture the genetic diversity of human populations, which may help explain differences in susceptibility to arsenic-induced disease.
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Extramural Paper of the Month: Grouping wildfire exposures for improved health risk assessments
Environmental Factor - February 2023
SRP-funded researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill developed a computer-based approach to group wildfire exposure conditions based on their effect on genetic expression and potential health risks.
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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.
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Improving Environmental Risk Communication Through Interdisciplinary Collaborations
SRP News Page - May 2022
Kathleen Gray, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) SRP Center talked about her passion for increasing understanding of environmental exposures in communities affected by contamination.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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Extramural Paper of the Month: 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, investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) SRP Center reported residents are exposed to arsenic and lead above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.
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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.
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Scientists design risk communication strategies to improve health
Environmental Factor - November 2021
At NIEHS Superfund Research Program event, hundreds learned about tailoring public messages related to environmental risk.
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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.