RAPID response: Assessment of Potential Ecological and Health Impact of Coal Ash Spill in Dan River North Carolina

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1440764GuThis research demonstrates the application of a new, cost-effective toxicity evaluation method for water quality monitoring. The study will encompass the Dan River, site of a recent coal ash spill. It has significant benefits to environmental and public health protection. The synergized arrays of education outreach and public education programs and strategies related to leading-edge water quality monitoring technology, as well as environmental and health implications of coal ash contamination of river water, will bridge the gap between scientific research, field implementation and public health protection. They will present the technology, benefits, and societal and environmental impact of rapid scientific community response to disasters to a wide range of audiences at various levels. The proposed study will demonstrate the application of a toxicogenomics-enabled in vitro assay scheme and methodology platform that can be an effective toxicity evaluation method for timely and informative water quality monitoring, as urgently needed by incidents like the Carolina coal ash spill. The results will lead to a paradigm shift in water remediation efficacy assessment from methods that suffer from often biased and limited chemical information to a more reliable method that identifies realistic endpoints and better reflects the actual risks to receptors. This will provide timely and useful information needed to facilitate containment and response strategies development and, to help inform the public and government of any potential ecological and health impacts associated with the spill.