Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH)
Understanding Bioavailability of Arsenic and Lead in Soils at Hazardous Waste Sites
May 10, 2017Expert: Dana Brown Haine
Bioavailability is a concept that is often unknown or confusing to community members impacted by metals contamination. Since bioavailability has important implications for human health and cleanup decisions at Superfund sites, it is important for impacted communities and the public to understand this concept. The University of Arizona (UA) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) SRP Center collaborated to develop a factsheet to provide a brief introduction to the concept of bioavailability and its relevance to communities impacted by metals contamination. In this podcast, hear how bioavailability can affect people’s exposure to metals like arsenic and lead. Plus, learn how to reduce exposure to arsenic or lead present in contaminated soil.
Expert
Dana Brown Haine is a science educator with the Superfund Research Program Center at the UNC SRP Center and a Science Education Manager for UNC’s Environmental Resource Program. Haine collaborated with UNC SRP Center Research Translation Director Kathleen Gray and research translation coordinator Sarah Yelton, former UA SRP Research Translation Core Leader Sarah T. Wilkinson, and U.S. EPA Partners in Technical Assistance Program coordinator Melissa Dreyfus, from the EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, to develop a factsheet entitled “Understanding Bioavailability of Arsenic and Lead in Soils at Superfund Sites” to help communicate this complex concept to the public. Haine has over 20 years of experience as a science educator.
Additional Resources:
Visit the UNC SRP Center website to download their Bioavailability Factsheet and learn more about how it was collaboratively developed.
Visit the NIEHS website to learn more about Arsenic and Lead and what you can do to your risk of exposure.
Find out more about how the U.S. EPA uses bioavailability when evaluating and cleaning up Superfund sites.
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