| Arsenic Awareness Community Outreach in Bangladesh | NPL Superfund Footprint: Site, Population, and Environmental Characteristics Mapper (Intro) | Field Studies at Superfund Site in New Jersey. |
NIEHS Environmental Factor, May 2012: Columbia University unveils NPL Mapper
The NIEHS E Factor online news media features the CU SRP National Priority List Superfund Footprint Mapper as part of its Science Notebook May 2012 edition. Research Translation Core Co-PI Meredith Golden with a team of geographic information specialists led by Tricia Chai-Onn developed the new online mapping service capable of displaying population and environmental characteristics for areas surrounding the footprints of more than 1500 Superfund sites. more...NIEHS Research Brief 208: A Flurry of Arsenic Findings
Several Columbia SRP scientists, including Habib Ahsan, Marie Argos, Mary Gamble, Yu Chen, and Karrie Radloff, along with their expert research and laboratory teams have made significant contributions to our scientific understanding of the human health impacts and pathways of exposure to arsenic. As part of CU SRP research in Bangladesh, genetic screening technologies have been used to identify genetic changes that make some individuals more susceptible to arsenic-induced skin lesions (see Hot Off the Presses). Another study demonstrates that folic acid supplementation facilitates arsenic methylation and elimination, thus lowering blood arsenic concentrations. Two other epidemiological studies provide new evidence of health effects from arsenic even at low and moderate levels of exposure. In terms of limiting exposures to arsenic, our geoscientists have shown that populations with high levels of arsenic in their drinking water should use deep wells with low arsenic concentrations and prevent increases in arsenic levels by limiting the amount of water pumped. Please click for the full NIEHS Research Brief(pdf).
more...Consumer Reports on Arsenic in your Juice cites CU SRP Director
The upcoming January 2012 Consumer Reports Magazine cites Columbia's SRP Director Joseph Graziano in its article, "Arsenic in your juice: How much is too much? Federal limits do not exist". Dr. Graziano suggests a comprehensive approach to reducing exposures to arsenic: "We tackled every source (of lead), from gasoline to paint to solder in food cans, and we should be just as vigilant in preventing arsenic from entering our food and water because the consequences of exposure are enormous for adults as well as children." Please click here for the article. Test results for arsenic and lead in apple juice and grape juice are also available (pdf).
Monday May 14th; Topics and presenters: Khalid Khan, Postdoctoral Researcher at Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at Oregon Health and Science University, will present Evaluation of a School-Based Intervention for Reducing Arsenic Exposure in Rural Bangladesh and Alexander van Geen, Lamont Research Professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University will give a talk on The new blanket survey of arsenic in tubewells of Araihazar: a step towards commercial testing throughout Bangladesh? Health Sciences campus: Environmental Health Sciences Conference Room (eleventh floor, room 1101), Rosenfield Building, Columbia University, 722 West 168 Street, New York, NY.
Complete list of Columbia SRP Seminars 
The PEPH Webinar - Mapping and Environmental Public Health: Visualizing Health Disparities and the Effects of Pollution broadcast on Monday, May 7th featured three scientists from Columbia University's Superfund Research Project: Lex van Geen, Steve Chillrud, and Meredith Golden. The PEPH plans to make available an archived recording of the webinar with their presentations on mapping and geospatial research. Stay tuned for the link!
Dates of Upcoming CU SRP Seminars/Webinars, 2012 (pdf)
Maps and Data
The Columbia University SRP Online Mapper, "NPL Superfund Footprint: Site, Population, and Environmental Characteristics"
NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Centers
Spatial variability of Arsenic concentrations in 6000 tube wells in Araihazar, Bangladesh
Data collected and mapped by Columbia SRP scientists, led by Dr. Alexander van Geen. For more information click here.
U.S. Population within Four-Mile Buffers of Superfund Sites
This map displays the 2000 US Census Grid Population data for residents within 4-mile buffers of NPL sites based on locations provided by EPA and ATSDR. For access to the data and the report generated for NIEHS, "Assessment of Populations in Proximity to Superfund National Priorities List Sites" please click here. To download the full-sized map, click here.
A research team led by CU SRP PI Habibul Ahsan and Brandon Pierce, University of Chicago Medicine, with contributions by SRP scientists Marie Argos, Joseph Graziano, Mary Gamble, Faruque Parvez, and Vesna Slavkovich has discovered genetic variants that elevate the risk for skin lesions in people chronically exposed to arsenic, as part of the first large-scale genomic studies in a developing country. Genetic changes found near the enzyme for metabolizing the chemical into a less toxic form can significantly increase an individual's risk for developing arsenic-related disease (summary).
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Pierce BL, Kibriya MG, Tong L, Jasmine F, Argos M, et al. (2012) Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Chromosome 10q24.32 Variants Associated with Arsenic Metabolism and Toxicity Phenotypes in Bangladesh. PLoS Genet 8(2): e1002522. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002522
Dr. Habibul Ahsan, CU SRP Scientist
As part of the SRP child development project in Araihazar, Bangladesh, this cross-sectional study investigates the associations of manganese and arsenic in tube well water with classroom behavior among more than 200 elementary school children, 8–11 years of age. The study examines specificity in the exposure/behavior problems by assessing both externalizing and internalizing behavior. Its findings reinforce the growing concern regarding neurotoxicologic effects for children exposed to high manganese levels in drinking water.
- Khalid Khan, Pam Factor-Litvak, Gail A. Wasserman, Xinhua Liu, Ershad Ahmed, Faruque Parvez, Vesna Slavkovich, Diane Levy, Jacob Mey, Alexander van Geen, and Joseph H. Graziano. Manganese Exposure from Drinking Water and Children’s Classroom Behavior in Bangladesh. Enviromental Health Perspectives. Oct 2011; 119(10):1501-1506.
Dr. Alexander van Geen, CU SRP Associate Director, summarizes findings from the International Drilling to Recover Aquifer Sands (IDRAs) 2011 workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam. Scientists and student participants from fourteen countries provided inputs for a new continental drilling program focused on arsenic contamination of groundwater in Asia. Over 100 million rural inhabitants in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Vietnam are at risk of major health problems from elevated groundwater arsenic.
- Alexander van Geen. International Drilling to Recover Aquifer Sands (IDRAs) and Arsenic Contaminated Groundwater in Asia. Scientific Drilling IODP/ICDP. September 2011, No. 12, pp 49-52. ISSN:1816-8957. doi:10.2204/iodp.sd.12.06.2011.
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