Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental contaminants that occur in complex mixtures. These environmental mixtures can consist of both parent PAHs and their derivatives. Several parent PAHs are known or suspected mutagens and/or carcinogens, and a handful of PAH derivatives are known to be more potent mutagens and/or carcinogens...
Since 2007, electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) sales in the U.S. have surpassed those of tobacco cigarettes. This is due, in part, to manufacturer’s claims that they are a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. However, formaldehyde, acrolein, and diacetyl have been detected in e-cigarettes and public knowledge of e-cigarette composition and potential...
The environmental health science community recognizes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a re-emerging class of environmental pollutants due to their persistence and prominence in mixtures of concern. Due to their widespread distribution in the environment, exposure to PAHs often occur as complex chemical mixtures. Exposures are linked to numerous adverse...
Silicone wristbands are easy-to-wear passive samplers that have been readily adapted into environmental health studies since first reported in 2014. Wristbands can be worn during normal daily activities and sequester a wide range of bioavailable organic chemicals. This dissertation includes a thorough review of silicone wristband technology, as well as...
All animals have developed the critical ability to detect, respond to, and detoxify a large array of environmental chemicals and stressors that can cause adverse health effects. Important examples of landmark contaminants around the world are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxins, both of which can act via the aryl...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most widely known and studied environmental contaminants, originating from a range of natural and anthropogenic sources. PAHs are known to occur in the environment as complex mixtures, containing both unsubstituted PAHs, as well as a range of PAH derivatives. Among the less-studied of...
There are more than 87,000 chemicals in current use with little to no toxicity information available. Assessing such a large number of chemicals using traditional methods would take an unreasonable amount of time and money, and require the use a large number of animals. The incorporation of high-throughput in vivo...
Throughout their lifetime individuals are exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals. The study of chemical mixtures is an internationally recognized research priority, but seemingly complex challenge. To reduce the intricacy of studying mixtures, researchers have identified different prioritization methods based on exposure or the toxicity of chemicals. However, understanding the...
In the environment, it is the unbound fraction of chemical (Cfree) which is able to diffuse across environmental interfaces and biological membranes. It is therefore Cfree which drives many important biological-environmental processes including contaminant transport, bioaccumulation and toxicity. Passive sampling devices (PSDs) offer a simplified and more accurate approach for...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of anthropogenic chemicals characterized by highly stable carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds. PFAS are widely used in industrial and consumer products for their surface-active and stain-resistant properties and are ubiquitously detected in environmental media, biota, and human biomatrices. Although some PFAS are known...