Grantee Research Project Results
Whole animal New Approach Methodologies for predicting developmental effects of air pollutant mixtures
EPA Grant Number: R840455Title: Whole animal New Approach Methodologies for predicting developmental effects of air pollutant mixtures
Investigators: Poynton, Helen C , Estrada-Martinez, Lorena , Segarra, Amelie , Connon, Richard E , Young, Thomas M , Díaz-Vázquez, Liz M
Current Investigators: Poynton, Helen C , Young, Thomas M , Connon, Richard E , Estrada-Martinez, Lorena , Segarra, Amelie , Díaz-Vázquez, Liz M
Institution: University of Massachusetts - Boston , University of California Davis , University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
Current Institution: University of Massachusetts - Boston , University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus , University of California Davis
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025 (Extended to September 30, 2026)
Project Amount: $750,000
RFA: Development of Innovative Approaches to Assess the Toxicity of Chemical Mixtures Request for Applications (RFA) (2022) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Toxics , Children's Health , Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Health Effects , Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Justice , New Approach Methods (NAMs) , Human Health , Air , Safer Chemicals , Mixtures , Chemical Safety for Sustainability , Non-Vertebrate Animal Testing , CSS
Objective:
(1) Develop and validate a novel whole animal New Approach Methodology (NAM) in crustacean Hyalella azteca embryos (Crustacean Embryo Test; CET) that specifically targets disruptions in conserved developmental pathways through gene expression and behavioral assays for use in human health risk assessments. (2) Evaluate the ability of the CET and Fish Embryo Test (FET) to detect developmental toxicity to single compounds and simulated mixtures of air pollutants and compare with predicted values from toxicological databases assuming additive toxicity. (3) Validate the applicability of the assays using collect d air samples following open denotations of unexploded ordnance in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Approach:
We will optimize the CET using model developmental toxicants and then challenge both the CET and FET assays with binary and tertiary mixtures selected by mining toxicological databases for air pollution chemicals that cause developmental, morphological, and neurobehavioral effects. We will compare the results from our CET and FET assays to in vitro and whole animal data from toxicological databases using a model of additive toxicity. We will then sample for air contaminants in Vieques, Puerto Rico, an environmental justice community that has been exposed to military contamination. We will test whether extracts from air filters cause developmental impairments in the CET and FET assays and compare results with targeted and non-target analytical approaches using an iceberg model approach.
Expected Results:
The CET and FET assays will provide a novel, effects-based approach for screening contaminant mixtures for developmental impairments. These assays can be scaled to provide high-throughput screening of chemical mixtures from both manufactured chemical formulations and environmental samples, specifically relevant to human health. Integrating CET and FET assays with non-target analytical chemistry will provide a robust framework for identifying “hidden stressors” in air pollution mixtures. Our approach provides novel tools and a new framework which will improve the risk assessment of complex air pollution mixtures.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 3 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
air, human health, sensitive populations, teratogen, Puerto RicoProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.