Superfund Research Program

August 2022

Hot Publication

Researchers at the UNC SRP Center have demonstrated an innovative method for identifying components of chemical mixtures and health outcomes associated with exposures. Combining a data-driven approach with cell-based studies allowed the team to determine chemical combinations that are potentially harmful.

Humans regularly encounter an enormous number of chemical combinations in consumer products, food, and water. Because it is not feasible to test the toxicity of all possible combinations through lab experiments, the authors employed computer-based data-mining techniques to characterize frequently co-occurring chemicals that could then be further evaluated in the lab.

Using chemical exposure information from a publicly available database, the research team analyzed and identified chemicals that frequently appear in the household environment. They homed in on chemical mixtures that affect PPAR?, a well-studied protein involved in liver metabolism. Increases in PPAR? activity can alter expression of genes critical to insulin regulation.

The researchers assessed the effects of five understudied chemicals on liver cells. They tested the chemicals in vitro for changes in the expression of insulin-related genes. Individual exposure to each chemical yielded little to no effect on cell health. When the chemicals were combined, however, insulin-related gene expression significantly increased.

According to the authors, these findings suggest that exposure to chemical mixtures may intensify biological changes in the liver, compared to single-chemical exposures.

To learn more, please refer to the following sources:

  • Carberry C, Turla T, Koval L, Hartwell HJ, Fry RC, Rager JE. 2022. Chemical mixtures in household environments: In silico prediction and in vitro testing of potential join action on PPARy in human liver cells. Toxics 10(5):199. doi:10.3390/toxics10050199 PMID:35622613 PMCID:PMC9146550