LSU Superfund Research Center - Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals

描述（由申请人提供）：路易斯安那州立大学和新奥尔良和什里夫波特的健康科学中心已经形成了一个跨学科合作，对与超级基金场址相关的污染物颗粒系统的环境和健康影响进行研究。我们的研究人员发现，氯化芳香烃和取代苯酚会化学吸附到含有氧化过渡金属的颗粒物质表面，在那里它们会还原金属并形成自由基。这些自由基通过与表面的结合而稳定下来，它们的反应性降低到可以在大气中持续数天的程度。我们的生物医学研究人员已经证明，这些与超细颗粒物相关的环境持久性自由基（EPFRs）在生物介质中也具有持久性，它们启动长催化链循环，导致每个EPFR产生1000个羟基自由基。这促进氧化应激，导致肺和心脏功能障碍的诱导，以及改变P450酶的表达。在一个超级基金木材处理场的污染土壤和焚烧有害物质产生的粉煤灰中检测到epfr。在热处理装置中高浓度的epfr还会促进新的分子污染物的形成，如多氯二苯并对二恶英和二苯并呋喃（PCDD/F）。本中心包括3个非生物医学项目，研究EPFR和PCDD/F在热处理系统中的形成机理、超级基金土壤中EPFR的形成和命运、促进EPFR形成的细颗粒和超细颗粒的特性。三个生物医学项目研究EPFRs对氧化应激诱导的心功能障碍、肺功能障碍和P450表达的影响。这些项目由3个研究核心提供支持：一个材料核心（Materials Core），用于合成和表征颗粒以测试特定的研究假设；一个氧化应激核心（Oxidative Stress Core），用于评估ROS和氧化应激的产生；一个计算核心（Computational Core），用于计算epfr -颗粒系统的性质与颗粒大小的关系。该计划还包括行政核心、研究翻译核心、社区外展核心和培训核心。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Louisiana State University and the Health Sciences Centers in New Orleans and Shreveport have formed an interdisciplinary collaboration to perform research on the environmental and health impacts of pollutant-particle systems associated with Superfund sites. Our researchers have discovered chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons and substituted phenols chemisorb to the surfaces of particulate matter containing redoxactive transition metals where they reduce the metal and form a free radical. These radicals are stabilized by association with surface, and their reactivity is reduced to the point that they can persist in the atmosphere for several days. Our biomedical researchers have shown these environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) associated with ultrafine particulate matter are also persistent in biological media where they initiate long catalytic chain cycles resulting in production of >1000 hydroxyl radicals per EPFR. This promotes oxidative stress leading to induction of pulmonary and cardiac dysfunction as well as altering the expression of P450 enzyme. The EPFRs have been detected in contaminated soils at a Superfund wood-treating site and the fly-ash produced from incineration of hazardous substances. At high concentrations in thermal treatment devices, the EPFRs also promote the formation of new molecular pollutants, such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F). Our center includes 3 non-biomedical projects studying the mechanism of EPFR and PCDD/F formation in thermal treatment systems, formation and fate of EPFRs in Superfund soils, and the properties of fine and ultrafine particles promoting EPFR formation. Three biomedical projects research the effects of EPFRs on oxidative stress-induced cardiac dysfunction, pulmonary dysfunction, and expression of P450. These projects are supported by 3 research cores: a Materials Core to synthesize and characterize particles to test specific research hypotheses, an Oxidative Stress Core to assess generation of ROS and oxidative stress, and a Computational Core to calculate the properties of EPFR-particle systems as a function of particle size. The program also includes, an Administrative Core, Research Translation Core, Community Outreach Core, and Training Core.