Research Briefs By Category: Ecology

Superfund Research Program

• 318 - Combined Approach Sheds Light on Factors Controlling Stream Recovery -- Clements
  Release Date: 06/02/2021

  Improved water quality and stream ecosystem recovery following treatment of mine waste depends on a mix of physical, chemical, and biological factors, according to a new study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) at the Colorado School of Mines. William Clements, Ph.D., professor at Colorado State University, and two doctoral students, led the study.

• 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.

• 285 - Why Shallow Lake Food Webs May Have More Arsenic -- Neumann
  Release Date: 09/05/2018

  Lake properties impact the amount of arsenic that transfers from sediments into the aquatic food web, according to a new SRP study. Researchers discovered high concentrations of arsenic in the water and plankton of well-mixed shallow lakes.

• 265 - The Genetics Behind the Killifish's Adaptation to Pollution -- Hahn
  Release Date: 01/04/2017

  Killifish living in four polluted East Coast estuaries have adapted quickly to survive high levels of toxic industrial pollutants. In a new study, researchers explored the complex genetics involved in the Atlantic killifish’s resilience, bringing us one step closer to understanding how they rapidly evolved to tolerate normally lethal levels of environmental contaminants. Exploring the evolutionary basis for these genetic changes may provide new information about the mechanisms of environmental chemical toxicity in both animals and humans.

• 260 - Identifying Mechanisms for Regulating Gas Exchange in Plants -- Schroeder
  Release Date: 08/03/2016

  Superfund Research Program (SRP) researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are identifying important mechanisms that plants use to respond to changes in the environment. They recently discovered molecular mechanisms that enhance the activity of proteins essential to closing stomata, or pores found on the surface of leaves, in response to environmental stressors.

• 224 - Effects of Cadmium and Copper on the Fish Olfactory System -- Gallagher
  Release Date: 08/07/2013

  A series of studies from a research group led by University of Washington (UW) grantee Evan Gallagher, Ph.D., provide insight into the mechanisms underlying injury to the olfactory system of fish exposed to cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) including concentrations seen in the environment.

• 195 - Mechanism of Resistance to PCB Toxicity in Fish -- Wirgin, Hahn
  Release Date: 03/02/2011

  A team unravels the mystery of how Atlantic tomcod living in waters contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) not only survive in their polluted environment, but thrive.

• 194 - Sediment Caps That Degrade Contaminants -- Reible
  Release Date: 02/02/2011

  Some Superfund sites may just need a little sizzle. Researchers find that using electricity can stimulate microbial growth and help break down contaminants in underwater sediments.

• 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.

• 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.

• 182 - Can Phytoremediation Work for PCBs? -- Schnoor
  Release Date: 02/03/2010

  A study offers the first evidence that whole plants can take up and metabolize polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), suggesting plants could be used to help clean up PCB-contaminated sites.

• 176 - A New Analytical Method to Support Studies of Mercury Bioavailability/Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Ecosystems -- Taylor, Chen, Jackson
  Release Date: 08/05/2009
  
  
• 171 - An Integrated Approach to Assess Sediment Toxicity -- Donnelly
  Release Date: 03/04/2009
  
  
• 153 - Novel High-Strength Iron Cement Sequesters Pollutants -- Curry
  Release Date: 09/05/2007
  
  
• 144 - A Comparative Toxicology Study of Metal Mixtures -- Folt, Chen
  Release Date: 12/06/2006
  
  
• 128 - Identifying Predictors of Mercury Burdens in Fish -- Folt, Chen
  Release Date: 08/02/2005
  
  
• 89 - Clues to Methylmercury Levels in Freshwater Fish -- Folt
  Release Date: 05/01/2002
  
  
• 84 - Monitoring Xenoestrogen Exposure in Largemouth Bass -- Denslow
  Release Date: 12/05/2001
  
  
• 66 - Development of a Biomarker to Detect Arsenic in Aquatic Ecosystems -- Folt
  Release Date: 05/03/2000
  
  
• 64 - The Use of Bacterial Diversity as a Biomarker for Ecological Health Assessment -- Ford
  Release Date: 03/05/2000
  
  
• 41 - Molecular, Population, and Community Responses of Aquatic Insects to Heavy Metal Contamination -- Clements
  Release Date: 03/10/1999
  
  
• 27 - Identification of Metal Responsive Genes in Aquatic Arthropods -- Beaty
  Release Date: 08/19/1998
  
  
• 21 - Mechanisms of Dioxin Sensitivity and Acquired Resistance -- Hahn
  Release Date: 05/27/1998
  
  
• 19 - The Use of Wildlife Biomonitoring at Hazardous Waste Sites -- Hooper
  Release Date: 04/29/1998