Superfund Research Program Hub

Staci Simonich (OSU SRP Leader, Project 5) served as a panelist at the “HEALTH EFFECTS OF FINE PARTICLES FROM VEHICLE EMISSIONS” Meeting on April 1, 2014.

The meeting was hosted in Washington D.C. by the Institute of Medicine, and sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Energy Future Coalition, with the American Lung Association and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. See Agenda

Workshop breaks provided further discussion time for Staci Simonich, left, and Frederica Perera of Columbia University. (Photo courtesy of Paula Whitacre) — Workshop breaks provided further discussion time for Staci Simonich, left, and Frederica Perera of Columbia University. *(Photo courtesy of Paula Whitacre)*

NIEHS and NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., described the purpose of the meeting in her opening remarks. “This workshop assembles a panel of leading researchers to present the current state of our knowledge on the potential effects of UFPs with aromatics, as well as the research strategies needed to address this emerging environmental public health issue,” she said.

According to Staci Simonich, Ph.D, China and India are the world’s largest PAH emitters, but the U.S. emits the most per person. Her lab has shown that air masses containing PAHs routinely travel great distances, such as across the Pacific Ocean.

Read more in the May 2014 issue of the NIEHS Environmental Factor.

Robert Tanguay presenting at the Norcal SOT Spring Symposium. (Photo Credit: Cal Dept. of Pesticide Regulation)

Robert Tanguay (Leader, Project 3, Director, Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Lab) traveled to California on April 29-20 for the Norcal SOT Spring Symposium . His presentation “Rapid In Vivo Assessment of Bioactivity in Zebrafish: High Content Data for Predictive Toxicology” was well received by scientists from the California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation, California EPA, and many others participating via the webcast.

Review and download slides from the event: http://www.slideshare.net/OSU_Superfund/tanguay-cal-epa

More images are shared by the California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation on Facebook.

This is our third year tweeting in support of EPA’s Air Quality Awareness Week. For the last two years we used the hashtag #healthyair and I was able to gather analytics. This year we are using the same hashtags as the EPA in hopes to reach a broader audience: #AQAW and #airquality

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Picnic Day is an annual open house event held in April at UC Davis. It typically draws more than 50,000 visitors to the campus to learn about the research and engage in family fun activities.

The 'toxin hunt' activity organized by the UC Davis Superfund Research Program — The ‘toxin hunt’ activity organized by the UC Davis Superfund Research Program

We appreciated the invitation from the UC Davis Superfund Research Center to our Trainees to come down and participate with them in outreach. Dr. Craig Marcus, Training Core Leader, traveled with two trainees, Erin Madeen (Project 1) and Andrea Knecht (Project 3).

OSU SRP Trainee Erin Madeen (Project 1) spent time chatting with Michael Denison, (PI, Project 5) of the UC Davis Superfund Center.

UC Davis invited us to display posters about our Center within their display area. Having the OSU SRP there was great, because UC Davis could direct their attention to our work to learn specifically about PAHs; how people are exposed and how they affect human and environmental health.

Besides research posters, the booth had over 125 children engaged in a ‘toxin hunt’ activity. The game was an excellent way for them to understand how SRP research can impact their health. The parents became very interested in the toxins that are being studied with the Superfund Research Program.

OSU SRP Trainee Andrea Knecht (Project 3) chats with visitors about her zebrafish research

Picnic Day was a great opportunity for Erin and Andrea to gain more experience in outreach by sharing posters with attendees and researchers. Dr. Marcus and the trainees also had opportunities to interact individually with the leadership and project leaders of several projects in the UC Davis Superfund Center to make additional connections and establish new collaborations. We look forward to hosting UC Davis trainees for our Research Day and other exchange opportunities.

By Sara Mishamandani

The familiar rubbery wristbands that have promoted various causes in recent decades are now being used to archive a person’s chemical exposure during a given period of time. (Photo courtesy of Kim Anderson)

As the environmental health science field strives to better understand the complexity of personal chemical exposures, NIEHS-funded researchers at the Oregon State University (OSU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) led by Kim Anderson, Ph.D., have developed a simple wristband and extraction method that can test exposure to 1,200 chemicals.

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Stories, Events, News, and Highlights

NIEHS and the Energy Future Coalition hold workshop on ultrafine particles from vehicle emissions

Tanguay Presents on Zebrafish Research to California Stakeholders

UC Davis Picnic Day Provided Opportunity for Connection & Engagement

Silicone Wristbands Facilitate Exposome Study

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