Reducing arsenic and uranium in Northern Plains drinking water
Columbia University and Northern Plains Partnership for the Superfund Research Program
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · NIH-11124894
This partnership measures arsenic and uranium in well water and urine to help protect Tribal communities in the Northern Plains from heart-related harms.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11124894 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will test private wells and rural water systems and collect urine samples to measure arsenic and uranium levels near tribal communities in North and South Dakota. They will build household-level maps of groundwater contamination using local knowledge, public data, and new water chemistry measurements. Isotope tests will trace where metals come from and how they move, while health data will look for links between exposures and heart problems. The team will also pilot and recommend household or community water treatments to reduce exposure.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living on Northern Plains tribal lands or nearby rural areas who use private wells or rural water systems and are concerned about metal exposure or heart disease are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who live outside the Northern Plains tribal areas or who receive treated municipal water are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could find contaminated water sources and support fixes that lower metal exposure and reduce cardiovascular risk in affected communities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous regional work showed elevated arsenic and uranium in urine and links to heart disease, but combining household mapping, isotope tracing, health measures, and remediation is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES — NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: NAVAS-ACIEN, ANA — COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- Study coordinator: NAVAS-ACIEN, ANA
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Cardiac Diseases, Cardiac Disorders, Cardiometabolic Disease