The research and regulatory communities acknowledge the need to develop analytical methods for PAHs and substitute PAHs (x-PAHs). The recent US EPA IRIS 2010 document Development of a Relative Potency Factory (RFP) Approach for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Mixtures says, """"""""While whole mixture assessment is preferred . . . chemical analysis of the components of mixtures is limited . . . The RPF approach is limited by the small number of PAHs for which there are analytical chemistry."""""""" It is challenging to analyze PAHs and x-PAHs in environmental and biological matrices because the samples are complex, the numerous isomers of alkylated and high-molecular-mass compounds are often difficult to differentiate, and we often lack standards and suitable reference materials. We will provide rapid chemical screening and quantitative analysis of mixtures from applicable matrices. The Chemistry Core provides Superfund Center Investigators with critical specialized analytical expertise. We will develop advanced techniques and methods for PAHs and mixtures. The need for new analytical methods continues to top the list of data gaps cited by agency workgroups. We need to further develop our 1,201 analyte screening method to """"""""know thy environment"""""""" paralling the genome """"""""know thyself technical advances. We will continue to develop a synthesis unit to make chemical standards that are not commercially available. We enable the work of our biomedical projects by synthesizing PAH metabolites. We plan to expand our synthesis component to include PAHs and substituted PAHs that are not currently commercially available. The lack of commercial standards constitutes a critical barrier to analytical method development and subsequent biomedical testing. We will continue to develop a centralized repository for exposure-based mixture reference materials, standards, and passive sampling devices. We propose to develop new Superfund reference materials, including bioavailable Superfund based materials and pre-and post-remediation extracts. We will make these well-characterized mixtures available to SRP investigators. We will also prepare and distribute passive sampling devices to SRP investigators and US EPA project managers for pilot investigations and evaluation.
Further developing methods for mixtures that identify 1000's of chemical is critical to understand the complete exposure. Creation of non-commercially available standards and real-world reference materials supports chemical and biological Superfund advancements. By offering PSDs we will encourage further adoption of bio-analytical tools and techniques in risk characterization and also gain important feedback.
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