Superfund Research Program

The Superfund Research Program has had many successes over the years. Older success stories are archived here. Select from the topics listed below to see stories related to a particular topic.

  • Analytical Advances
    The SRP was created as a multidisciplinary research program to address the broad, complex health and environmental issues that arise from the multimedia nature of hazardous waste sites. In meeting these objectives, SRP-funded research has led to analytical advances that have been used in risk assessments and to improve the understanding of toxicity and disease etiology.

  • 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.

  • Community Engagement
    In addition to supporting basic scientific research, the SRP funds outreach activities, which are designed to facilitate the translation of the Program's results to the communities and organizations most concerned with the effects of hazardous substances on human health.

  • Ecology
    An important feature of SRP is that it supports ecological research. The Program’s broad mandates enable its investigators to conduct research that enhances our ability to assess or predict the damage that hazardous substances can cause to ecosystems. More so, SRP research has demonstrated that studying the effects from hazardous substances on ecosystems and wildlife can lead to an improved understanding of the impact of hazardous substances on human health.

  • Informing Public Policy
    One of the primary goals of SRP-funded research is to improve public health. Thus, the Program supports a wide range of research to address the broad public health concerns arising from the release of hazardous substances into the environment. The intent is to provide sound science to those making public policy, regulatory, remediation and risk reduction decisions. SRP-funded research has been successful in this area as studies have improved our understanding and minimizing the health effects associated with exposures to environmental contaminants.

  • Remediation Technologies
    Remediation research targeted for the cleanup of groundwater, sediments, soil and other environmental media has been a very strong and successful component of SRP. SRP-funded researchers have developed innovative biological, chemical, and physical methods that effectively remove and/or reduce the amount of hazardous wastes.

  • Training the Next Generation of Environmental Professionals
    SRP's greatest assets are the students and professionals our researchers train. We have been able to capture several success stories of past graduates who have continued on to successful careers in various sectors. These stories are highlights from our program and show the diversity of experiences our trainees encounter.