Research Briefs By Category: Bioavailability

Superfund Research Program

• 332 - Improving How Microbes Break Down PFAS -- Men
  Release Date: 08/03/2022

  NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees demonstrated a method to break down per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into smaller, non-toxic molecules. Led by Yujie Men, Ph.D., of the University of California, Riverside, the team also showed that some types of PFAS can be more easily degraded than others.

• 328 - Sampling Device May Predict Methylmercury Accumulation in Wetlands -- Hsu-Kim
  Release Date: 04/06/2022

  NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers, led by Heileen Hsu-Kim, Ph.D., of the Duke University SRP Center, showed that a small plastic sampling device can efficiently predict the potential for methylmercury — an environmental contaminant — to form in freshwater wetlands and to accumulate in organisms living there.

• 325 - Biosensor Helps Characterize Contaminants and Health Risks Following Disasters -- Unger, Knap
  Release Date: 01/05/2022

  A sophisticated biosensor may provide information about contaminant distribution in the aftermath of natural disasters, according to an NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study. Led by former Texas A&M University (TAMU) SRP Center trainee Krisa Camargo and Michael Unger, Ph.D., from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, the team demonstrated this type of tool is useful for quickly characterizing and prioritizing environmental samples for further analysis, particularly in the context of disaster research response.

• 319 - Analyzing Chemicals and Genes Yields Novel Insight into PAH Behavior -- Simonich
  Release Date: 07/07/2021

  A new NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study revealed how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) breakdown and transform in the presence of ultraviolet A (UVA) light and titanium dioxide nanoparticle pollutants. Their findings have important implications for PAH cleanup, which may not consider how PAHs transform in diverse environments.

• 295 - Model Predicts PAH Levels in Important Tribal Food Source -- Anderson
  Release Date: 07/10/2019

  A sediment passive sampling model can be used to accurately predict the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in butter clams, according to a recent Superfund Research Program (SRP) study. Led by Kim Anderson, Ph.D., of the Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Center, the research team worked closely with tribal leaders to better predict PAH levels in butter clams while having a minimal impact on this important resource.

• 252 - Bioavailability Changes in Sediments and Bioaccumulation in Fish -- Ghosh
  Release Date: 12/02/2015

  Changes in uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish after remediation of their aquatic environment may be predicted, according to researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. They measured freely dissolved concentrations of PCBs in water and applied mathematical models to predict the effectiveness of sediment remediation. The study is one step toward understanding how PCB bioavailability changes in sediment as a result of activated carbon amendments, a method to sequester PCBs, can influence transfer of PCBs to fish.

• 197 - Poplars are Choosy about PCBs -- Schnoor
  Release Date: 05/04/2011

  Could trees be the world's biggest vacuum cleaners? Scientists study how poplar trees help clean up some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and reduce the risk of human exposures.

• 192 - Discovery of the Key to Metal Accumulation in Plants -- Schroeder
  Release Date: 12/01/2010

  Plants that take up hazardous metals can help clean up polluted soils, but they also can become a route of human exposure when edible crops take up pollutants. Researchers are deciphering how plants take up metals in order to better control the process.

• 191 - Portable Biosensing Systems -- Daunert
  Release Date: 11/03/2010

  A team of scientists deploys bacterial detectors that light up in the presence of contaminants such as arsenic and zinc. In spore form, the bacteria can survive extreme conditions and be resurrected in minutes.

• 184 - Linking Site Specific Contaminant Mixtures to Biological Responses -- Anderson
  Release Date: 04/05/2010

  New tools could help Superfund site managers evaluate the nuances of chemical mixtures and identify the most pressing threats to ecosystem and human health.

• 171 - An Integrated Approach to Assess Sediment Toxicity -- Donnelly
  Release Date: 03/04/2009
  
  
• 166 - Understanding Dermal Exposure - a Critical Step in Exposure Assessment -- Nylander-French
  Release Date: 10/01/2008
  
  
• 79 - A Cellular Biosensor to Detect Chlorocatechols -- Daunert
  Release Date: 07/03/2001
  
  
• 65 - Toxicokinetics of Volatile Organic Compounds -- Kalman
  Release Date: 04/05/2000
  
  
• 50 - Bioavailability of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in the Diet -- Kleinow, James
  Release Date: 07/14/1999
  
  
• 45 - Improving the Understanding of Contaminant Bioavailability in Soils -- Ghiorse, Lion
  Release Date: 05/05/1999
  
  
• 33 - The Effect of Contaminant Aging in Soils on Bioavailability -- Alexander
  Release Date: 11/11/1998
  
  
• 23 - Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification of Metals in Lakes -- Folt
  Release Date: 06/24/1998
  
  
• 2 - Advances Made in Determining Fate and Bioavailability of PAH in Soil -- Pfaender
  Release Date: 08/20/1997