Developing and Evaluating Technology to Measure PAH Fate and Exposures

Project Leader:  Kim Anderson

The Anderson Project is working to understand where and how PAHs at Superfund sites are moving with the application of passive sampling wristbands to measure external PAH exposure for people near Superfund sites.

 

Predicting the Toxicity of Complex PAH Mixtures

Project Leaders:  Robyn Tanguay and Lisa Truong

The Tanguay/Truong team is working to determine how transient embryonic developmental exposures to individual PAHs and PAH mixtures influence early development and adult cardiovascular fitness and neurobehavior. They are also evaluating the potential transgenerational impacts of PAHs and mixtures.

 

Linking PAH Exposure to Health Outcomes Using Human Primary In Vitro Models

Project Leaders:  Susan Tilton and Dave Williams

The Tilton team is acquiring critical information about the toxicity of diverse PAHs and mixtures in a human-relevant, metabolically competent in vitro respiratory model.  The research team will quantify the toxicity of PAHs and PAH mixtures in the human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) model, assess the role of metabolism on the toxicity of individual PAHs in 3D HBEC, and elucidate the mechanisms of PAH toxicity.

 

Elucidating Metabolic and Physicochemical Mechanisms of PAH Susceptibility in Toxicity Test Systems and Humans 

Project Leaders:  Justin Teeguarden, Jordan Smith

Drs. Teeguarden, Smith, Wright and El-Khoury are working to elucidate the molecular basis for susceptibility to PAH exposures.  The Teeguarden team is defining differences in PAH metabolic capacity and PAH tissue distribution that could influence PAH susceptibility in humans, HBE cells, and zebrafish embryos. They will determine how toxic tissue doses in test systems compare to those experienced by humans.

 

Identification of Remediation Technologies and Conditions that Minimize Formation of Hazardous PAH Breakdown Products at Superfund Sites

Project Leaders:  Staci Simonich and Lewis Semprini

The Simonich/Semprini team is developing methods and generating the data to identify and recommend remediation technologies that minimize formation of hazardous PAH breakdown products.