Reducing harm from toxic chemicals near homes and schools
Toxic substances in the environment
Researchers are developing ways to find, clean up, and lower health risks from hazardous chemicals to protect pregnant people, babies, and young children in affected communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11126806 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This UC Berkeley Superfund Center brings together biomedical and engineering teams plus community partners to tackle chemical hazards such as arsenic, chromium, and PFAS near neighborhoods. Teams will combine field sampling, lab studies, and engineering pilots to understand how chemical mixtures affect pregnant people and young children and to test new onsite cleanup methods. The center also includes cores for community engagement, exposure measurement, and data analysis so residents can share concerns and help guide work. The goal is practical tools and information that communities and regulators can use to reduce exposures and improve cleanup outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people who live near hazardous waste or Superfund sites—especially pregnant people, infants, and children in those communities.
Not a fit: People who do not live near contaminated sites or have no measurable exposure to the targeted chemicals are unlikely to directly benefit from this center's activities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reduce toxic exposures and improve cleanup methods to better protect pregnant people, infants, and young children living near contaminated sites.
How similar studies have performed: Previous exposure-monitoring and targeted-remediation projects have helped some communities, but this center's combination of mixture science, on-site engineering, and focused community engagement is more comprehensive and partly novel.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Martyn T — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Smith, Martyn T
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.