Although our ability to analyze hazardous material in waste sites has improve dramatically in recent years, we are very limited in our ability to trace the movement of hazardous materials from Superfund sites through various media or to prioritize and mitigate the hazards involved. Our ability to predict exposure or effect of these materials on humans their environment is still more limited. This Program consisted of 9 integrated projects, 3 research support cores, a training core, an outreach core and an administrative core to address these problems. We will determine the fate and transport of hazardous materials in ground water, surface water, and air as they move from toxic waste sites using classical an innovative methodologies. Concurrently we will develop sensitive systems for evaluating the exposure and effect of populations to these materials. Immunochemical, cell based and other systems will be used to detect biomarkers. Development of these biomarkers will be based on a fundamental understanding of the toxicological processes involved. The project will emphasize multiple organ systems in mammals as well as microbial and fish systems in the environment. We also will explore new technologies for thermal and bioremediation of toxic waste and address possible health risks associated with these technologies. Rapid immunochemical and cell based analysis will supplement classical technologies for the evaluation of sites, validating models of transport from these sites, as well as determining human susceptibility, exposure and effect. We will begin the use of an integrated bioinformatics chemicals as well as biomarkers of exposure and effect. We will begin the use of an integrated bioinformatics technologies based on DNA microarray and mass spectroscopy to discover new mechanisms of action of hazardous materials and biomarkers for their action. The biomarkers developed in this project will serve as biological dosimeters in epidemiological and ecological studies in this and sister projects. The technologies developed in the project will be tested at field sites and transferred to end users.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 1149 publications
