Saturday, August 10, 2013

University of Kentucky receives grant of $ 12.2 million to reduce the negative health hazardous chemicals

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University of Kentucky receives grant of $ 12.2 million to reduce the negative health hazardous chemicals -

The University of Kentucky has received a grant of 12.2 million $ national Institutes of health to continue its work to better understand and minimize the negative health and environmental impacts of hazardous waste sites.

subsidy nutrition and Superfund Chemical Toxicity funded by the National Institute of Sciences of Environmental Health NIH is administered by the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. It supports the efforts of more than 50 scientists and students from 15 departments within colleges of Agriculture, Food and Environment; Arts and Sciences; Engineering; Drug; and public health.

UK is one of four programs funded in 2014, placing it in a very elite group of only 19 centers throughout the country. UK received funding for his work Superfund since 1997, which is one of the NIH Grant largest ever received by the UK.

Biomedical Research UK Superfund Research Center focuses on the idea that nutrition can help to reduce the negative health effects of exposure to hazardous chemicals. environmental scientists at the center are working to develop new methods to detect dangerous and clean up contaminated sites chemicals.

Kentucky rates of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and hypertension, well above the national average. The state is also home to more than 0 federal Superfund sites, including 14 active sites that are on the National Priorities List, a list of the worst sites in the country. The US Agency for Environmental Protection defines Superfund sites as uncontrolled or abandoned places where hazardous waste is located.

discharges In Kentucky, these sites include abandoned and large industrial facilities. Many of these sites are contaminated with persistent organic chlorine compounds environment, molecules that contain carbon and chlorine, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and trichlorethylene (TCE).

"Our biomedical research goal is to help offset the health negative impacts that can occur when humans are exposed to toxic chemicals, improving health outcomes and disease that can be associated with such exposures, "said Bernhard Hennig, director of the center and professor of nutrition and toxicology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. "The team is also looking at the impact of these exposures on prenatal development."

"We are optimistic that the results of our environmental science research will help accelerate the cleaning several Superfund sites in Kentucky, such as the diffusion of gaseous Paducah plants. Our research is likely to have other applications, including uses in the treatment of drinking water and the removal of toxic metals from water to the plant, "said Lindell Ormsbee, deputy director of the UK-SRC and Raymond -Blythe professor of civil engineering.

"This project brings together the best scientists from many different disciplines and colleges for a high-impact collaboration that advances our knowledge of some of the most common chemical contaminant in our environment," said Nancy Cox, Dean College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. "These scientists are also working with colleagues from other states and national agencies working in affected communities to educate individuals on strategies that can help fight against the effects of contaminants and improve overall health. "


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