Research Briefs: Duke University

Superfund Research Program

Duke University Superfund Research Center - Developmental Co-Exposures: Mechanisms, Outcomes, and Remediation

Center Director: Heather M. Stapleton
Grant Number: P42ES010356
Funding Period: 2000-2027

Program Links

Research Briefs

• 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.

• 308 - Using Fungi to Clean up Contaminated Soil -- Gunsch
  Release Date: 08/05/2020

  Native fungal communities point to a new way of cleaning up contaminated soil. After conducting a study to characterize fungi found in soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), researchers at the NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program at Duke University discovered a group of fungi that may be promising for remediation.

• 302 - PAH and Hypoxia Exposure Result in Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Fish -- Di Giulio
  Release Date: 02/05/2020

  Zebrafish exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water with inadequate oxygen, or hypoxia, can experience a broad range of effects on the mitochondria, according to an NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study. Changes to the function and integrity of mitochondria, which are organelles that make energy for the cell, can disrupt metabolism and reduce organism fitness and performance.

• 288 - Alternative Flame Retardants May Lead to Neurobehavioral Effects -- Levin
  Release Date: 12/05/2018

  Organophosphate flame retardant (OPFR) exposure early in life may be linked to behavioral impacts into adulthood, according to a new study in zebrafish. The results provide evidence that OPFRs, which have been introduced in commercial products in the past decade, may not be a safe alternative to brominated flame retardants, which were phased out because they were found to be harmful to normal development.

• 267 - Cell-Based Models Reveal Differences in How PAH Mixtures Affect Neurodevelopment -- Slotkin
  Release Date: 03/01/2017

  Exposure to a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may produce different neurodevelopmental effects from those of exposure to individual PAHs, and the developing brain may be sensitive to these contaminants over a wide window of development, according to a Duke University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center study.

• 248 - Cellulose Nanomaterials in Environmental Cleanup Technologies -- Wiesner
  Release Date: 08/05/2015

  Nanomaterials made of cellulose – a natural polymer used mainly to produce paper – hold great promise in environmental remediation applications and water filtration membranes, according to Duke University Superfund Research Program (Duke SRP) researchers. In a compilation of research findings, Duke SRP researchers led by Mark Wiesner, Ph.D., outline the physical and chemical properties, production costs, and current use of cellulose nanomaterials.

• 237 - The Flame Retardant Firemaster 550, Fat Cells, and Bone Health -- Schlezinger
  Release Date: 09/03/2014

  Researchers from the Boston University (BU) and Duke University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Centers found that components of the flame-retardant mixture Firemaster® 550 (FM550) may stimulate growth of fat cells and reduce bone health. The results of the collaborative study suggest that triphenyl phosphate (TPP), a component of FM550 that is widespread in household products and house dust, interacts with a protein that regulates fat cell differentiation and lipid storage.

• 230 - Combined Exposure to Glucocorticoids and Chlorpyrifos Influences Neurobehavioral Development -- Levin, Slotkin
  Release Date: 02/05/2014

  Prenatal glucocorticoid treatment, used to speed up the development of a preterm infant's lungs, has the potential to worsen the outcome of later exposures to toxins, according to findings by the Duke University Superfund Research Program (SRP). The study in rats, led by Ed Levin, Ph.D., and Ted Slotkin, Ph.D., explored how exposure to glucocorticoids, a type of steroid, before birth changes the effect of the insecticide chlorpyrifos on behavioral development.

• 225 - Commercial Paper and Rubber Products Contain Activators of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor -- Denison, Di Giulio
  Release Date: 09/04/2013

  Common commercial and consumer products, including newspapers and rubber bands, contain chemicals that are recognized by the body as toxins, according to a collaborative study by researchers at the Duke University and University of California, Davis Superfund Research Program (SRP) Centers.

• 185 - Childhood Exposures to Pesticides May Contribute to Obesity and Diabetes in Adults -- Slotkin
  Release Date: 05/05/2010

  Organophosphates represent nearly 50 percent of worldwide insecticide use. Unfortunately, they may also contribute to another statistic: the increased incidence of obesity and diabetes.

• 158 - A Screening Tool to Identify Developmental Neurotoxicants -- Slotkin
  Release Date: 02/06/2008
  
  
• 147 - Microbial and Photolytic Transformations of Environmental Contaminants -- Schuler, Linden
  Release Date: 03/07/2007
  
  
• 116 - Investigating the Impact of Organic Mixtures on Cardiac Development of the Killifish -- Di Giulio
  Release Date: 08/04/2004
  
  
• 102 - Multidisciplinary Research to Develop Models to Study the Impacts of Exposure to Chlorpyrifos -- Levin, Linney
  Release Date: 06/04/2003
  
  
• 80 - Mechanisms of Chlorpyrifos Developmental Neurotoxicity -- Slotkin
  Release Date: 08/01/2001