August 2016

A version of this story was originally published in the Spring 2014 UW SRP eBulletin.

A successful Northwest Children's Environmental Health Forum was held near Seattle, in December 2013. This was the third in a series of biennial conferences on children's environmental health. The focus of this educational forum was harmful environmental exposures that may occur before and during pregnancy. This year, nationally recognized speakers and scientists, including Peggy Shepard (executive director of WE-ACT for Environmental Justice), Kim Harley (lead researcher on the CHAMOS Study at the Center for Environmental Research & Children's Health University of California Berkeley) and Ted Schettler (science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network), participated on panels. Materials for the forum can be accessed here. 

The event was organized by the Children's Environmental Health Working Group, a part of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment - Washington (CHE-WA), which is a chapter of the national CHE organization. The CHE mission includes strengthening science dialogue on environmental factors impacting human health. CHE-WA was established a decade ago and today its members include researchers, healthcare providers, local, state and federal agencies, community businesses, professional organizations and individuals invested in environmental health. The goals of CHE resonate with the public and have a natural tie to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) programs like the Superfund Research Program (SRP). Last fall, the Boston University-SRP organized a national conference call with CHE highlighting environmental justice work done by their program and peer SRPs. The University of Washington-SRP originally became involved with CHE-WA activities in 2005 through our partnership with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and its associated Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU).

A version of this story was originally published in the Spring 2014 UW SRP eBulletin.

University of Washington Superfund Research Program (UW-SRP) Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Laboratory (Core lab) recently acquired 'next generation gene sequencing instrumentation' that enables them to offer timely and effective sequencing applications for research scientists to provide important information about cell function. The Core lab works with UW-SRP scientists to measure both physiological and genetic changes associated with neurotoxic exposures in humans and wildlife.

A version of this story was originally published in the Fall 2014 UW SRP eBulletin.

The Northwest Toxic Communities Coalition (NWTCC) will host a webinar on November 19th entitled "How do our Contaminated Cleanup Sites Compare?" The webinar will be conducted by Dr. Peter L. deFur, president of Environmental Stewardship Concepts. Dr. deFur is meeting with community groups at their cleanup sites in EPA Region 10. His webinar will draw comparisons of regional cleanup sites on which he is working – types of contaminants, cleanup plans, and alternative cleanup options. This initiative by the Northwest Toxic Communities Coalition directly addresses an area central to the mission of the organization - “to connect with and empower communities impacted by toxic waste and to share resources, information, and support for toxic cleanup efforts throughout the Northwest states.” The proposed webinar will bring together regional members working on both Superfund and other hazardous waste site cleanups. It builds upon previous successful activities conducted by the coalition over past years. 

The NWTCC was successful in obtaining funding from the Seattle-based 'Horizons Foundation'. This grant provided travel support for Coalition members to attend a Coalition Annual Summit in Fall 2013. Earlier this year, the NWTCC also received support from both 'The Rose Foundation' and the 'Horizons Foundation' to meet requests for assistance in public education and community engagement related to the use of land-spreading of contaminated sewage sludge as compost/fertilizer for farm and forest soils and for growing food. One product of the funding is an educational flyer. The immediate goal of this material is to inform the public of this practice and to urge people to ask grocers if their food is grown in sewage sludge containing soils and to ask nurseries if the compost/fertilizer/soil amendments contain sewage sludge.

A version of this story was originally published in the Fall 2014 UW SRP eBulletin.

The SHAWL Society (Sovereignty, Health, Air, Water, The Midnite Mine site was listed as a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2000. The Dawn Mining Company, LLC, and Newmont USA Limited are the responsible parties for the site and will complete the cleanup work, overseen by the Spokane Tribe and the EPA. For a number of years SHAWL Society documented worker exposure histories and illnesses among former mine workers with a goal of limiting further exposures of tribal members and to increase accountability and transparency of corporate entities and government agencies involved. Since the site was listed, the SHAWL Society has worked with former uranium mine workers to provide them with important information about RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act). RECA is a federal compensation program that allows eligible workers or their survivors to file a compensation benefits claim for certain health effects related to the mining operations. Over the last decade, Deb Abrahamson, executive director of SHAWL Society, played a key role in initiating a successful grant submission to the federal Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP). The grant collaborators include Indian Health Service, Spokane Tribe, Northwest Indian Health Board. In 2012 the Spokane Tribe was awarded a federal RESEP grant which has been active through August of 2014 and also has the opportunity for renewal. 

The SHAWL Society is working with the Spokane Tribe and the EPA to apply Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) funds during the ‘Record of Decision’ period of the Superfund Process, to deepen community understanding of the health risks associated with uranium, heavy metals, acid mine drainage and other toxicants have been identified in some local soil and water. Over the last twenty years the SHAWL Society has proven to be an effective leader; raising awareness and broadening knowledge for improved cleanup outcomes.

A version of this story was originally published in the Fall 2014 UW SRP eBulletin.

In June 2013, President Obama announced his Climate Action Plan. A critical element of the Plan is to assist states, Tribes, and local governments to prepare for negative climate-related consequences that may lie ahead. In May of this year, the Third National Climate Assessment was released, including a chapter on the Pacific Northwest. One of the key messages from the Assessment was the need for federal, state, Tribal, and local communities to develop adaptive responses to observed and projected impacts associated with climate change, which will differ across the nation including the Pacific Northwest.

In order to provide assistance to governments in responding to those impacts, the UW SRP Research Translation and Community Engagement Core is sponsoring a webinar by Dr. Amy Snover of the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group to discuss approaches and tools for how to use climate change projections for prioritizing climate change efforts. The webinar will draw on the recent publication by Dr. Snover and her colleagues "Choosing and Using Climate-Change Scenarios for Ecological-Impact Assessments and Conservation Decisions" in journal ‘Conservation Biology’. The webinar will provide a preview of an online tool being developed by the Climate Impacts Group to explore when and where climate change will have an impact in the Northwest. The goal of the webinar is to provide a discussion forum for regulatory, environmental and resource management organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Goals include building regional capacity regarding climate change and exploring resources that can be integrated to meet agency needs. Dr. Snover, Director of the Climate Impacts Group, in the College of the Environment works with decision makers to help them develop science-based strategies for addressing climate risks, and to develop priorities for research, tool development and outreach. Dr. Snover’s webinar will be held on December 10th, from noon to 1pm PST. 

The UW SRP sponsors regular seminars held in Seattle at the regional EPA headquarters (a webinar connection is available.) The seminars are directed toward an audience of agency staff involved with risk assessment and communication at Superfund sites, such as EPA Region 10 and the Washington State Departments of Health and Ecology. Topic requests come from our agency partners - the series provides a forum for intra-agency discussions with scientists about current research and applications of the science. 

A version of this story was originally published in the Fall 2014 UW SRP eBulletin.

The University of Washington Superfund Research Program (UW SRP) will initiate 3 new research projects next year if our competing renewal is supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The overall focus of the program will continue to be investigating early biomarkers for neurotoxic compounds such as manganese, copper and pesticides. One proposed new study by Dr. Zhengui Xia will examine the impacts of cadmium on memory formation and function in adults and children. Cadmium is a heavy metal with an extended biological half-life in humans (staying in the body from ten to thirty years). Cadmium is common to Superfund hazardous waste sites and is a component of air pollution. Dr. Xia’s research findings on central nervous system injuries and motor impairment will dovetail with the program’s ongoing work related to the mechanisms that underlie neurodegeneration. 

A second new project by Dr. Rebecca Neumann will advance current understanding of arsenic’s ‘mobility’ in natural aquatic systems, such as fresh water lakes. Arsenic is a neurotoxic and carcinogenetic pollutant. It is regionally important in the Pacific Northwest in part because of historic metal smelter operations that left a legacy of arsenic and other metals in urban areas. As with other metals such as mercury, arsenic can accumulate up the aquatic food-web and reach levels associated with health effects in humans.

The third new project expands our ongoing investigation into the health effects of manganese exposure. Dr. Brad Racette is currently conducting a study on environmental manganese exposure from mining operations in Meyerton, South Africa. The focus of the project will be on quantifying community exposure from the mining operations and investigating the health effects on the community. 

These projects join continuing projects led by Dr. Evan Gallagher and Drs. Lucio Costa and Clem Furlong. Dr. Gallagher’s research uses field and laboratory studies to address chemical causes of behavioral defects in Pacific salmon stemming from loss of olfactory function that is critical to the specie's survival. Drs. Lucio Costa and Clem Furlong investigate the role of genetic variability in paraoxonase enzymes in metals and organophosphorus pesticides. Dr. Fred Farin continues to direct the UW SRP Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, which enables UW SRP investigators to utilize a wide range of methodologies to identify markers of exposure to toxicants that are present in hazardous waste sites. Graduate trainees participate in all UW SRP Projects assisting in research as well as being involved in science translation opportunities and outreach activities with UW SRP partnering community organizations, governmental agencies and peer universities. 

A version of this story was originally published in the Fall 2015 UW SRP eBulletin.

This month marks a decade since a cadre of community groups met in Seattle in 2005 to hold its first regional summit planting the seeds of the Northwest Toxic Communities Coalition. The initial meeting was led by members of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and other groups that included environmental and social justice organizations. 

Their unique vision was to create a forum where local organizations would be able to share directly with one another their acquired knowledge and experiences. Participants understood as well as anyone that the process for a successful hazardous waste site cleanup can be decades long - from site identification to site cleanup completion. The 2005 summit organizers engaged university participation from the outset, working closely with Antioch University’s Center for Creative Change and Whole Systems Design programs in planning the session and inviting the Superfund Research Program’s Community Engagement Core director, Dr. Tom Burbacher. The first meeting included community organizations, Region 10 EPA staff and Antioch and University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences faculty. Roundtable discussions were focused on coalition building, engaging diverse communities and forging partnerships between universities and communities. In the time since, annual summits have consistently included discussion sessions with local, regional and federal agencies that oversee hazardous waste cleanup. The Coalition has also been involved at a regional level as cohost and organizer with Region 10 EPA in a community workshop on outdoor air quality. The UW SRP continues to provide communication support and a venue for annual summits of the Northwest Toxic Communities Coalition. The Coalition is planning its next summit for April 2016. Today the Coalition is comprised of over 20 community organizations, each focusing on a local pollution or waste site concern in the Northwest.

A version of this story was originally published in the Fall 2015 UW SRP eBulletin.

The Duwamish Valley Youth Corps (DVYC) is a program shepherded by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (Technical Advisory Group for the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site). The DVYC engages youth in education and community service, offering them paid training and meaningful work experience. 

Youth participating in the DVYC are all residents of the South Park and Georgetown communities in Seattle. These two neighborhoods sit within the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site and are among the oldest neighborhoods in Seattle. Participants in the program meet three times a week over a period of twelve weeks. The current participants range in ages from 13-18 years old. The Youth Corps educational activities include a cumulative health impacts educational mapping activity and other social and environmental justice curriculum. Their effort is making a difference. 

Carmen Martinez, the leader of the DVYC says, “A central focus of their work is on storm water pollution and learning about a range of solutions”. Some of the education and community actions of the youth are: creating rain gardens, composting soils, tree planting, encouraging native habitat and purging non-native plant species.” The students receive a stipend upon completion. The DVYC is funded through 2016 by support from the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, the US Forest Service, City of Seattle and the Russell Family Foundation. 

Supporting community education has been a foundational component of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition since 2003. The University of Washington Superfund Research Program invited the students to campus, where they visited the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the School of Public Health. In past years the youth cohort assisted in river sediment sampling, laboratory titrations and viewing the automated chemical analyzer in process. Perhaps most importantly, students learned from researchers how to interpret results and understand the important role this plays in the context of a long-term waste site cleanup plan.

This fall Community Engagement Core staff is working with Carmen Martinez to engage the DVYC in an upcoming UW Sustainability event focusing on research along the Duwamish River. The event has a poster session that will include a summary of SRP research and SRP CEC collaborations with the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition.

Hao Wang received his Master’s Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. There his research explored the mechanisms and signal pathways associated with one kind of toxin from algae, Microcystin. Our Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences was lucky to have Hao join the Toxicology Program as a doctoral student in 2012, with Dr. Zhengui Xia. Today, Hao has joined her SRP team addressing “Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Cadmium Neurotoxicity.” In recent decades brain research has made enormous advances in our understanding of adult neurogenesis (the development of new nerve cells from a stem cell population in the brain) in both animals and in humans. The project that Xia and Wang are working on sheds light upon critical signaling mechanisms that underlie cadmium neurotoxicity. Hao is participating in the SRP Annual Meeting this November where he will share novel research findings on the adverse effect of cadmium on adult neurogenesis. The data gathered in this groundbreaking research suggest that cadmium exposure can impair adult neurogenesis and hippocampus-dependent cognitive function. Hao Wang recognizes the importance of this work that helps us to better understand the neurotoxicity of cadmium. Ultimately, this knowledge will inform safety regulations that protect us from environmental and occupational exposures of cadmium. 

A version of this story was originally published in the Fall 2015 UW SRP eBulletin.

The University of Washington Superfund Research Program (UW SRP) received funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for our interdisciplinary program titled Effects-Related Biomarkers of Environmental Neurotoxic Exposures. Principal investigator, Dr. Evan Gallagher, oversees the four research projects and five support cores. 

Program research is directed at mechanisms and ramifications of metal neurotoxicity in humans and aquatic species. Cadmium, arsenic and manganese are heavy metals common to Superfund waste sites. The UW SRP has a long-standing and successful history in the development and innovative use of biomarkers that can be predictive of exposures to neurotoxic agents. These biomarkers are used as early indicators of neurotoxic injury and as genetic determinants of unusual susceptibilities to environmental hazards. The program has four projects and five cores. The projects include:

Project #1: Biochemical Mechanisms of Olfactory Injury in Salmon. Dr. Evan Gallagher will continue investigating how metal exposures impact fish olfaction. His research targets contaminants of concern at Superfund sites like the Lower Duwamish Waterway in Seattle where environmental exposures to cadmium can influence overall fish survival.

Project #2: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Cadmium Neurotoxicity. Dr. Zhengui Xia is a new SRP investigator. Her biomedical study explores the molecular and cellular effects of cadmium on both olfaction and cognition, focusing on adult neurogenesis and signaling pathways critical for hippocampus-dependent memory.

Project #3: Role of Paraoxonases (PONs) in Modulating Cadmium, Manganese and Organophosphate Neurotoxicity. Drs. Clement Furlong and Lucio Costa will continue to investigate the basis for individual differences in how chemicals are processed, making some people more susceptible than others to the toxic effects of chemical exposure.

Project #5: Arsenic in Shallow Unstratified and Seasonally Stratified Urban Lakes: Mobility, Bioaccumulation and Ecological Toxicity. Dr. Rebecca Neumann and her colleague Dr. James Gawel are also new SRP investigators. Their project investigates the mechanisms of arsenic mobilization within freshwater aquatic environments, linking arsenic biogeochemistry with bioavailability. Their studies will provide information important to establishing water-quality guidelines and regulating total arsenic concentrations to adequately protect human health and aquatic ecosystems.

The UW SRP Support Cores include the:

Administrative Core led by Dr. Evan Gallagher with co-director, Dr. Tom Burbacher. The Core is responsible for the financial and resource management of the SRP It initiates external advisory participation and works with the projects and other cores to foster opportunities for investigators to share research broadly and to expand partner networks with peer SRPs and provide NIEHS with the latest updates on research and outreach activities.

Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Laboratory Core directed by Dr. Theo Bammler. The Core enables our investigators to utilize a wide range of molecular biology and bioinformatic-related methodologies suited to perform mechanistic studies and to identify markers of exposure to toxicants, impaired physiologic and neurologic function, and susceptibility to neurotoxicity induced by environmental toxicants.

Training Core co-directed by Dr. Gallagher and Dr. Xia. The Core supports students and fellows who work closely with research project investigators, engage in professional development, and interface with agency and community partners.

Research Translation Core (RTC) directed by Dr. Tom Burbacher and managed by Ms. Katie Frevert. RTC staff assist investigators in sharing their respective projects findings, lead trainee activities and help guide the project investigators’ with commercialization and patents.

Community Engagement Core (CEC) also directed by Dr Burbacher and managed by Ms. Frevert. The CEC has benefited from having developed collaborative and effective relationships with several community organizations, community advisory, technical advisory groups in EPA Region 10. The CEC also creates opportunities for SRP students to share information about their research and work with a variety of community partners.