Chemical hazards

Background: Alpha diketones such as diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione have been used as artificial flavorings in a variety of industries and are produced naturally when food products such as coffee beans are roasted.

In 2018, 3.2% of adults reported currently using an e-cigarette (vaping) at least once in a 30-day period. 20.8% and 4.9% of high school and middle school students, respectively, also reported using e-cigarettes during that same year.

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) is one of the least tested health effects of the more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use today. In order to more efficiently test chemicals for DNT, more knowledge is needed on mechanisms that trigger adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), this research analyzed human cadaver hair for gadolinium and mice hair samples for cadmium. This project combined fundamental bench science (analytical chemistry and animal studies), and insight into exposures to an emerging contaminant.

This dissertation focuses on developing frameworks and supporting evidence for the prioritization of chemicals found in children’s consumer products. Toxic chemicals found in children’s consumer products can impact child health and development.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) are important xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptors, and their genetic polymorphisms are known to alter the pharmacokinetics of various xenobiotics.

Background: The US Safe Drinking Water Act does not regulate private wells, leaving over 42 million US residents with little regulatory oversight of their water quality. Trends in public water systems suggest that private wells in Latinx communities may have higher nitrate concentrations than wells in other communities.

Issues: Smartphones and other mobile devices have become important tools for collecting wellness and personal health information. To take advantage of this potential, an environmental justice organization is developing an app to help citizen scientists collect water samples and share water quality data.

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal of high interest to the Superfund initiative. It causes toxic effects to many organs, including kidney, liver, lung, and bone. Cd is also a potential neurotoxicant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 6,939 deaths and 477,000 emergency department visits annually during 2009 to 2013 were attributed to 13 waterborne pathogens. The annual cost of hospitalization and treatment associated with these diseases totaled $3.8 billion.

Recent studies have linked phthalates with type 2 diabetes, but limited research exists on the potential association between phthalates and gestational diabetes (GDM), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and continuous glucose tolerance measures during pregnancy.

Background: Chlorpyrifos is among the most heavily used conventional insecticides in the United States. The public is chronically exposed to low levels of chlorpyrifos in food crop residues and drinking water.

Across the country, dry cleaning is the largest source of emissions of the toxic chemical perchloroethylene (Perc).