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

项目总结： 德克萨斯州休斯顿市哈里斯县的早产率高达13.6%(美国全国平均水平为 9.6%)，而在超级基金网站周围的地区，早产率更高(&gt；20%)。 哈里斯县有15个超级基金网站，对生活在 这些地点的附近。早产常导致许多并发症，包括慢性肺部并发症。 疾病，也称为支气管肺发育不良(BPD)，其中一些患者发展为 晚年的神经认知缺陷。多环芳香族是PTBS的一个可能的危险因素 碳氢化合物(PAHs)，存在于受污染的土壤、沉积物和各种超级基金地点的水中 整个美国，包括大休斯顿地区。BCM-水稻SRP的总体假设 母亲暴露于多环芳烃(存在于超级基金网站)会增加PTB和 逐渐增加主要的疾病，如BPD和神经认知缺陷。具体目标 开发超灵敏的检测和识别策略(例如，表面- 样品的增强拉曼光谱和表面增强红外吸收光谱 空气、水和土壤中基于光学活性的初级和次级多环芳烃化合物 工程纳米材料(项目1)。这种方法具有很高的创新性，因为它可以检测到多环芳烃 在1 ppb的水平下，这将对风险评估非常有帮助。2.通过以下方式确定分子机制 哪种母亲接触多环芳烃混合物会增加PTB的风险，这反过来又会导致BPD和 神经认知缺陷。3.开发新的修复技术来处理Superfund的沉积物 网站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，预防和减少 与超级基金网站中存在的多环芳烃相关的健康负担(例如，Patrick Bayou，San Jacinto Waste PITS)通过我们的社区参与核心(CEC)。5.与小学发展伙伴关系 利益相关者(即EPA、ATSDR)、NIEHS、中心内的调查人员和其他中心，以进行探索 通过行政和研究翻译核心(AC)实现商业化的可能性。6. 以跨学科的方式培养学生和博士后研究员，所以下一代科学家， 工程师和医生将为环境健康做出根本贡献[研究 经验和培训协调核心(RETCC)]。7.支持管理和集成 中心所有项目和核心的资产[数据管理和分析核心(DMAC)]。 生物医学和环境科学项目很好地结合在一起，它们将得到 AC、研究支持核心(RSC)和DMAC。减轻健康负担的总目标 与超级基金网站中的多环芳烃有关。

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.