POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS: ULTRASENSITIVE DETECTION, EARLY LIFE EXPOSURES-CLINICAL OUTCOMES (PRETERM BIRTHS, CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE, AND NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS), PREVENTION AND REMEDIATION

项目摘要： 得克萨斯州休斯顿哈里斯县的早产率高达13.6%（美国全国平均水平为1.2%）。 9.6%），在超级基金所在地周围地区，早产率甚至更高（> 20%）。 哈里斯县有15个超级基金站点，对居住在该县的人们构成重大健康风险。 这些景点附近。早产（PTB）往往导致许多并发症，包括慢性肺 疾病，也称为支气管肺发育不良（BPD），其中一些患者发展为 神经认知缺陷。多环芳烃是PTB的可能危险因素之一 碳氢化合物（多环芳烃），存在于污染的土壤，沉积物和水在各种超级基金网站 包括大休斯顿地区在内的美国各地。BCM-Rice SRP的超亲假说 母亲暴露于多环芳烃，这是目前在超级基金的网站，增加了PTB的风险， 逐渐增加主要发病率，如BPD和神经认知缺陷。具体目标 整体中心的主要特点是：1.开发超灵敏的检测和识别策略（例如，表面- 增强拉曼光谱（SERA）和表面增强红外吸收光谱（SEIRA） 空气、水和土壤中的一级和二级多环芳烃化合物 工程纳米材料（项目1）。这种方法具有很高的创新性，因为它可以检测多环芳烃， 在1 ppb水平下，将非常有助于风险评估。2.为了确定分子机制， 母亲暴露于PAH混合物会增加PTB的风险，进而导致BPD， 神经认知缺陷3.开发新的修复技术来处理超级基金沉积物 以完全消除健康风险的方式，同时为受影响的媒体增加价值。 这项研究将有助于风险评估。4.制定新的战略来预防和减少 与超级基金地点中存在的多环芳烃相关的健康负担（例如，帕特里克河口，圣哈辛托废物 通过我们的社区参与核心（CEC）。5.发展与主要 利益相关者（即EPA，ATSDR），NIEHS，中心和其他中心的调查人员，以探索 通过行政和研究翻译核心（AC）的商业化可能性。6. 以跨学科的方式培养学生和博士后研究员，使下一代科学家， 工程师和医生将为环境健康做出重要贡献[研究] 经验和培训协调核心（RETCC）。7.支持管理和集成 数据管理和分析核心（Data Management and Analysis Core，DMAC）。 生物医学和环境科学项目是很好的结合，他们将得到支持， AC、研究支持核心（RSC）和DMAC。减轻健康负担的总体目标 与多环芳烃有关。

Project Summary: The preterm birth rate in Harris County, Houston, TX is an alarming 13.6% (national average in US is 9.6%), and in areas surrounding the superfund sites, the preterm birth (PTB) rate is even higher (> 20%). There are 15 superfund sites in Harris County, posing a significant health risk to people living in the vicinity of these sites. Preterm birth (PTB) often leads to many complications including chronic lung disease, also termed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and some of these patients develop neurocognitive deficits later in life. One of the possible risk factors for PTBs are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), present in contaminated soil, sediments, and water at various superfund sites across the US, including the greater Houston area. The over-arching hypothesis of the BCM-Rice SRP is that maternal exposure to PAHs, which are present in superfund sites, increases the risk of PTBs and incrementally augments major morbidities such as BPD and neurocognitive deficits. The Specific Aims of the overall center are: 1. To develop ultrasensitive detection and identification strategies (e.g., surface- enhanced Raman Spectra (SERA) and surface-enhanced Infrared Absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) for primary and secondary PAH-based compounds in air, water, and soil based on optically active engineered nanomaterials (project 1). This method is highly innovative and because it can detect PAHs at 1 ppb levels, it will be very helpful for risk assessment. 2. To determine molecular mechanisms by which maternal exposure to PAH mixtures increases the risks for PTBs, which in turn leads to BPD and neurocognitive deficits. 3. To develop novel remediation technologies to treat sediments from Superfund sites in a manner that completely removes the health risks while adding value to the impacted media. This research should help in risk assessment. 4. To develop novel strategies to prevent and reduce the health burden associated with PAHs present in superfund sites (e.g., Patrick Bayou, San Jacinto waste Pitts) through our Community Engagement Core (CEC). 5. To develop partnerships with primary stakeholders (i.e. EPA, ATSDR), NIEHS, investigators within the center and other centers, to explore commercialization possibilities through the Administrative and Research Translational Core (AC). 6. Train students and postdoctoral fellows in a cross-disciplinary manner, so next generation scientists, engineers, and physicians will make fundamental contributions to Environmental Health [Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC)]. 7. To support the management and integration of assets across all the projects and cores of the center [data management and Analysis core (DMAC)]. The biomedical and environmental Science projects are well integrated, and they will be supported by the AC, the research support core (RSC), and the DMAC. The overall goal to reduce the health burden associated with PAHs in superfund sites.