NIEHS Superfund Research Program - Research Brief Podcasts

Researchers partially funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) designed a scaled-up electrochemical system that combines electricity with the mineral pyrite, a mineral commonly found in the environment, to continuously remove organic and heavy metal contaminants from groundwater for a year. The study was led by Akram Alshawabkeh, Ph.D., from the Northeastern University SRP Center, and Kitae Baek, Ph.D., from Jeonbuk National University in Korea.

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. These changes, known as epigenetic changes, alter how genes work without changing the genes themselves. In this study, the researchers looked at a type of change called CpG methylation.

Machine learning algorithms can fill gaps in sparse or incomplete groundwater datasets, according to researchers partially funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program. The study tested the ability of two algorithms to help scientists analyze co-occurring pollutants in groundwater by filling in missing field data points and was led by researchers from Arizona State University, Harvard University, and North Carolina State University.

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.

Scientists at the NIEHS-funded North Carolina State University Superfund Research Program Center created machine learning models that can help predict how well granular activated carbon 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.

Researchers funded by the NIEHS SRP developed a 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. PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in consumer products that are ubiquitous on the planet and in some cases harmful to humans and wildlife.

Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program designed a new material that effectively degrades harmful compounds, like PFAS, and bacteria. By combining the power of sunlight and a component of plants, called lignin, this approach harnesses sustainable and renewable resources to reduce exposures and protect health.

A new technology, developed by researchers at the NIEHS-funded Massachusetts Institute of Technology Superfund Research Program Center, can detect the contaminant N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in water. This breakthrough tool offers a quick way to monitor NDMA by triggering a visible color change when light interacts with the contaminated solution.

Common low-cost samplers may be an effective technology for tracking PFAS levels in aquatic environments, according to a study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). The research team found that frequently used passive sampling devices, which collect samples over time, can monitor how PFAS mitigation strategies affect PFAS levels along a stretch of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. Erin Baker, Ph.D., a project leader at the Texas A&M SRP Center and part of the analytical core at the North Carolina State University SRP Center, led the team.

Exposure to certain chemicals during early pregnancy may influence how a baby’s immune system develops, according to a study partly funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). The scientists discovered that some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and metals may alter how an infant’s immune system responds to environmental triggers.

Adding a common mineral, pyrite, to an electrochemical system can simultaneously remove organic and heavy metal contaminants from groundwater, according to a study funded in part by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). Led by Akram Alshawabkeh, Ph.D., researchers at the Northeastern University SRP Center found that combining two types of remediation techniques – one that relies on applying an electrical current to destroy contaminants and one that uses minerals to adsorb contaminants – removed pollutants more effectively than either strategy alone.

Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) revealed how characteristics of water treatment systems may alter the ability of novel nanomaterials to remove PFAS. Scientists should be aware of factors like water pH ' a measure of acidic or basic conditions ' or salt level to ensure that these nanomaterials effectively remove PFAS in aqueous environments, according to the team based at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

A study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) found that consuming some types of commercial seafood in high quantities may increase the risk of PFAS exposure. Led by Celia Chen, Ph.D., Kate Crawford, Ph.D., and Megan Romano, Ph.D., at Dartmouth College, the research team believes their findings can support the development of consumption guidelines to protect communities from further PFAS exposure.

Oregon State University scientists and engineers developed an approach to cleaning polluted groundwater that uses tiny beads containing chemical-eating bacteria. In this study, funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), the team identified a formula to maximize bead durability and bioremediation, or the removal of contaminants using bacteria.

NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers, led by Heileen Hsu-Kim, Ph.D., of the Duke University SRP Center, provided insight into how and at what timescale mercury changes within a wetland ecosystem. They found mercury from different sources is converted into other mercury forms that eventually have similar properties. This finding can inform environmental management or pollution control strategies.

NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers developed a new strategy that uses limestone and a naturally occurring mineral to clean up water contaminated with arsenic and uranium — two of the most frequently detected drinking water pollutants in Tribal communities.

Scientists funded partly by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) developed a computer model to determine the health effects of exposure to dioxins. Researchers use the model to combine data on exposures and on known health outcomes to assess the overall risk chemicals could pose to health.For this study, researchers at the Michigan State University SRP Center and Emory University created a computational model to show how the highly toxic chemical 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) affects biological processes that increase cholesterol levels in the liver.

Researchers partially funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) mapped interactions between microbes that may support the growth of certain bacteria that degrade polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a harmful contaminant. By harnessing those microbial relationships, researchers could improve the bioremediation, or bacterial breakdown, of PCBs from the environment, according to a team led by Timothy Mattes, Ph.D., University of Iowa SRP Center.

Toxic air pollutants called environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) may react with certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the surface of airborne particles to form more toxic chemicals, according to researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). The study, led by Slawomir Lomnicki, Ph.D., of the Louisiana State University SRP Center, demonstrated that interactions between components of fine particulate matter mixtures may enhance their overall toxicity.

Adding biochar produced at a high temperature may be an effective way to immobilize arsenic in sediment, according to researchers partially funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). The study, led by Owen Duckworth, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SRP Center, in partnership with researchers from the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Brazil, also provided further insight into the conditions that influenced the effectiveness of biochar for soil remediation.