The Superfund Research Program at The University of Iowa (ISRP) is a joint endeavor involving basic, mechanistic, and applied research projects in biomedical and environmental research areas addressing semi- volatile polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The overall goal of the ISRP is to identify atmospheric sources, exposures, and potential consequences to human health of semi-volatile PCBs. To achieve this goal, the ISRP addresses volatilization, transport and resultant exposure of lower halogenated PCBs, especially those PCBs that are associated with contaminated waters, former industrial sites, and buildings (especially school buildings). We plan to identify routes of exposure with an eye to preventing or limiting exposure and ameliorating the effects. The ISRP brings together 17 scientists, representing 7 departments in 5 colleges, and two universities. Working together, we will measure sources, transport and environmental exposure of PCBs (Projects 4 and 6); their distribution, metabolism and toxicity in animals and humans (Projects 1, 3 and 7); and novel methods of phytoremediation (Project 5). Proposed studies include a community-based participatory research project-an of exposures to citizens who live or work in the vicinity of sources of lower chlorinated PCBs in the Chicago Metropolitan area. We enjoy the cooperation of citizen groups in Chicago, IL and East Chicago, IN where many ethnic-minority citizens are living below the poverty line near de- industrialized sites. Our research projects and overall efficiency are supported by six cores: Administration, Synthesis, Analytical, Training, Research Translation and Community Engagement - which assist the projects in coordination, information transfer, design and analysis of experiments, and assessment of research. The Synthesis Core synthesizes all compounds/mixtures to be studied, while the Analytical Core provides critical compositional information from metabolism to movement. Community Engagement and Research Translation Cores transmit research findings to a variety of stakeholders and involve those stakeholders in research activities. A Training Core and the research projects provide for the training of 16 students and postdoctoral scholars each year (70 have been trained in the previous funding period). The assessment / evaluation process culminates in an annual meeting of our 8-member External Advisory Committee. Overall this multidisciplinary program brings a broad range of experience and expertise, and institutional resources, to bear on problems associated with Superfund chemicals that are critical to the Midwest and the nation.

Public Health Relevance

The University of Iowa Superfund Research Program (ISRP) will provide new knowledge on the toxic effects and mechanisms of toxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a large family of environmental pollutants that cause adverse human health effects, including cancer. The data produced will be essential for risk assessment, development of strategies to prevent or ameliorate toxicity, and for the management of these toxicants in human environments. These findings will aid federal, state, and local agencies, e.g. EPA and ATSDR, with needed information to determine safe levels, and courses of action to control these environmental pollutants and to protect human health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Hazardous Substances Basic Research Grants Program (NIEHS) (P42)
Project #
5P42ES013661-12
Application #
9249543
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-LWJ-J (SF))
Program Officer
Henry, Heather F
Project Start
2005-04-01
Project End
2020-03-31
Budget Start
2017-04-01
Budget End
2018-03-31
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
$2,138,255
Indirect Cost
$707,111
Name
University of Iowa
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
062761671
City
Iowa City
State
IA
Country
United States
Zip Code
52246
Uwimana, Eric; Li, Xueshu; Lehmler, Hans-Joachim (2018) Human Liver Microsomes Atropselectively Metabolize 2,2',3,4',6-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 91) to a 1,2-Shift Product as the Major Metabolite. Environ Sci Technol 52:6000-6008
Herkert, Nicholas J; Hornbuckle, Keri C (2018) Effects of room airflow on accurate determination of PUF-PAS sampling rates in the indoor environment. Environ Sci Process Impacts 20:757-766
Herkert, Nicholas J; Spak, Scott N; Smith, Austen et al. (2018) Calibration and evaluation of PUF-PAS sampling rates across the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network. Environ Sci Process Impacts 20:210-219
Dhakal, Kiran; Gadupudi, Gopi S; Lehmler, Hans-Joachim et al. (2018) Sources and toxicities of phenolic polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25:16277-16290
Enayah, Sabah H; Vanle, Brigitte C; Fuortes, Laurence J et al. (2018) PCB95 and PCB153 change dopamine levels and turn-over in PC12 cells. Toxicology 394:93-101
Klinefelter, Kelsey; Hooven, Molly Kromme; Bates, Chloe et al. (2018) Genetic differences in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and CYP1A2 affect sensitivity to developmental polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in mice: relevance to studies of human neurological disorders. Mamm Genome 29:112-127
Gourronc, Francoise A; Robertson, Larry W; Klingelhutz, Aloysius J (2018) A delayed proinflammatory response of human preadipocytes to PCB126 is dependent on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25:16481-16492
Alam, Sinthia; Carter, Gwendolyn S; Krager, Kimberly J et al. (2018) PCB11 Metabolite, 3,3'-Dichlorobiphenyl-4-ol, Exposure Alters the Expression of Genes Governing Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Absence of Functional Sirtuin 3: Examining the Contribution of MnSOD. Antioxidants (Basel) 7:
Li, Xueshu; Holland, Erika B; Feng, Wei et al. (2018) Authentication of synthetic environmental contaminants and their (bio)transformation products in toxicology: polychlorinated biphenyls as an example. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25:16508-16521
Sethi, Sunjay; Keil, Kimberly P; Lein, Pamela J (2018) 3,3'-Dichlorobiphenyl (PCB 11) promotes dendritic arborization in primary rat cortical neurons via a CREB-dependent mechanism. Arch Toxicol 92:3337-3345

Showing the most recent 10 out of 298 publications