Biomedical Health Research
One goal of the SRP is to integrate both biomedical and non-biomedical research components to address the complex nature of hazardous waste management and remediation. The stories below are examples of biomedical research conducted by SRP researchers.
- Children Exposed to Cadmium May Be at Higher Risk for Learning Disabilities (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/3/science-cadmium/index.htm): Robert Wright, M.D., led a team of researchers to discover that children and teens with higher levels of cadmium in their bodies are more likely to have learning disabilities and be placed in special education.
- Prenatal Exposure to Perchloroethylene (PCE) and the Incidence of Birth Defects : Prenatal exposure to a chemical solvent can put babies at an increased risk for birth defects, according to a study published in the September 2009 issue of Environmental Health.
- Residential Exposure to PCBs and Pesticides May Increase the Risk of Leukemia : The incidence of childhood leukemia in industrialized countries rose significantly from 1975 through 2004, and the reasons for the increase are not understood. Drs. Patricia Buffler and Catherine Metayer from the University of California at Berkeley are investigating how exposure to Superfund chemicals may affect a child's risk of contracting leukemia.
- Study Suggests Possible Therapy for Arsenic Toxicity (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/4/science-arsenic/index.htm): Columbia University researchers conduce one of the first large-scale genomic studies conducted in a developing country. Their findings suggest a possible route for preventing disease in people exposed to arsenic.
- Superfund study examines carcinogenicity of nickel nanoparticles (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2011/october/science-superfund/index.cfm): Brown University researcher Agnes Kane, M.D., Ph.D., shows evidence that nickel nanoparticles activate a cellular pathway that contributes to cancer in human lung cells.
