Superfund Research Program

• 365 - Mechanism Linking Preconception Arsenic Exposure and Diabetes in Offspring Revealed -- Fry
  Release Date: 05/12/2025

  Exposure to inorganic arsenic before conception can trigger changes in gene activity that are passed down to offspring and increase their risk of developing diabetes, according to a study in mice funded by an NIEHS individual research grant and by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). These changes, known as epigenetic changes, alter how genes work without changing the genes themselves.

• 364 - Machine Learning Creates More Complete Picture of Groundwater Contamination -- Westerhoff, Yingling
  Release Date: 04/02/2025

  Machine learning algorithms can fill gaps in sparse or incomplete groundwater datasets, according to researchers partially funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). The study tested the ability of two algorithms to help scientists analyze co-occurring pollutants in groundwater by filling in missing field data points.

• 363 - Using a New Model to Identify Health-Impacting Metal Mixtures -- Jayasundara
  Release Date: 03/12/2025

  Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) developed the linear mixed-effects model (LMM), a framework for statistical analysis, to quickly and effectively estimate the effects of individual metals and metal mixtures on zebrafish larvae behaviors.

• 362 - Machine Learning Predicts Efficiency of Micropollutant Removal -- Knappe
  Release Date: 02/19/2025

  Scientists at the NIEHS-funded North Carolina State University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center created machine learning models that can help predict how well granular activated carbon (GAC) can clean up contaminated water. With his student Yoko Koyama, Detlef Knappe, Ph.D., developed models that consider properties of the micropollutants — such as PFAS and volatile organic compounds — specific characteristics of the water being treated, and features of different GAC types.

• 361 - Model Predicts PFAS Buildup in Wild Animals -- Sunderland
  Release Date: 01/08/2025

  Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) developed a new model that predicts how PFAS move and build up within food webs. The model lays the groundwork for screening the thousands of PFAS compounds that could potentially pose a risk for ecological or human health.