Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging chemical class of concern. Recently in the United States, Health Advisory Limits for two PFAS in drinking water were established for perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate in drinking water (set to 70 ng/L combine concentration) by the EPA. Because of PFAS mobility, persistence,...
Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), a primary I3C
derivative in vivo, are known chemopreventive agents available as dietary supplements.
I3C was found to suppress or enhance tumors in several animal models.
Chemoprotection is attributed to the ability of indoles to alter carcinogen metabolism
effectively blocking initiation. However, mechanisms for enhancement...
Pesticides are among the most pervasive environmental contaminants and they are an important potential risk for human health. Agricultural workers are constantly exposed to pesticide spray, drift and residues in the soil and foliage. Many agricultural pesticides are readily absorbed by the body, through contact with the skin, the respiratory...
The numerous different types of nanomaterials and paucity of reliable in vivo information on toxicity has resulted in enduring uncertainties associated with health and safety risks, thereby slowing progress in nanotherapeutic assessment and development. This dissertation explores how the embryonic zebrafish model can be applied to prioritize commonly used nanomaterial...
Overtly non-toxic doses of organochlorine (OC) insecticides perturb lipid homeostasis
in mice and rats. To increase understanding of how chlordecone (CD), an OC
insecticide, modulates cholesterol (CH) homeostasis, we determined the effect of CD
pretreatment on the tissue and hepatic subcellular distribution of exogenous [¹⁴C]CH. Corn oil alone or CD...
Glutathione, a ubiquitous intracellular tripeptide, protects cells by reacting with electrophiles and radicals that can damage cellular macromolecules. However, glutathione conjugation is now recognized as one mechanism by which drugs and xenobiotics can also be converted to reactive intermediates having toxic consequences to cells. The halogenated alkane 1,2-dichloroethane forms S-(2-chloroethyl)...
This study was designed to assess chiorpyrifos exposure of a group of farmers by determining internal dose associated with a given application of this insecticide. This involved the monitoring of urinary levels of 3,5,6 trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), the major metabolite of chlorpyrifos. Incidental exposure was evaluated by determining the levels of...
Environmental toxicologists and public health officials are responsible for assisting in the identification, management, and mitigation of public health hazards. As a result, there is a continued need for robust analytical tools that can aid in the rapid quantification and characterization of chemical exposure. In the first research phase, we...
Large quantities of the chemical oil dispersant Corexit were applied in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Large data gaps regarding the potential transport, persistence and impact of Corexit in the Gulf existed at the time of the emergency response. Analytical methods for...
Selenoprotein W (SeW) is a protein whose function is unknown, but potentially plays a vital role in calcium metabolism, as an indirect link has been established with white muscle disease (WMD). White muscle disease occurs in selenium deficient animals, and is characterized by the precipitation of calcium in muscle, leading...