157 episodes
NIEHS Superfund Research Program - Research Brief Podcasts NIEHS Superfund Research Program
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- Science
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5.0 • 3 Ratings
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The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) produces a monthly Research Brief Podcast that highlights the research of SRP grantees. The SRP is a network of university grants that seek solutions to the complex health and environmental issues associated with the nation's hazardous waste sites. The research conducted by the SRP is a coordinated effort with the Environmental Protection Agency, which is the federal entity charged with cleaning up the worst hazardous waste sites in the country. For information on how NIEHS interacts with its online visitors, check out its Web Policies - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/ocpl/policies/
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Engineering Hydrogel Beads to Enhance Bioremediation of Groundwater Contaminant
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.
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Tracking Mercury Conversion and Distribution in Aquatic Environments
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.
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Using Earth Materials to Remove Metals Near Abandoned Mines
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.
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New Model Estimates the Effects of Dioxin on Liver Cholesterol
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.
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Mapping Microbe Interactions That Support PCB-Degrading Bacteria
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.
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Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals, PAHs Interact to Increase Toxicity of Particulate Mixtures
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.