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University of New Mexico
METALS
Superfund Center
Metals Exposure and Toxicity Assessment on Tribal Lands in the Southwest
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Welcome to our July 2022 Newsletter! |
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RED WATER POND ROAD
Annual Commemoration of 1979 Church Rock Uranium Mill Tailings Spill.
METALS partner, Red Water Pond Road Community Association (RWPRCA) on the Navajo Nation gathers annually to remember the impacts of the largest release of radioactive waste, by volume, in U.S. history. This year’s event was held on July 16th, 2022 and started with a morning march. Over 80 people were in attendance to hear talks from various non-profit groups, tribal leaders, and researchers including those from the UNM METALS center. The METALS center also disseminated information in the form of research briefs, brochures, and posters.
"Remembering the Church Rock Uranium Mill Tailings Spill of July 16, 1979"
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METALS PHASE 2
The METALS center, now in phase 2, continues to investigate biomarkers and mechanisms of mixed metals exposures to inform future interventions to reduce the health risks of exposure to abandoned uranium mine wastes as well as explore mechanisms involved in bioremediation. We aim to explore associations between metals exposures and immune function, how exposures influence biomarkers in the lung and microbiota in the gut, and how water chemistry and fungi can influence movement of metals through plants and soils.
The METALS Phase 2 Conceptual Model illustrates the strong integration of all METALS components to advance the science of metal mixture toxicity, mobility, and remediation through response to community concerns.
Artwork by Artist in Residence, Mallery Quetawki.
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Trainee Highlights
Jessica Begay and Taylor Busch were among the panelists for UNM's American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Empowering Indigenous Women In Stem Symposium on March 23, 2022.
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Dissertation Defenses
Isabel Mesa successfully defended her Ph.D. on June 17th, 2022.
Thesis title: Thermodynamic and kinetic investigation of U(VI) and As(V) reactions: insights for risk assessment and remediation.
Casey Miller successfully defended her Master's thesis on June 21, 2022.
Thesis title: Interfacial Interactions of Soluble Uranium and HDPE in agricultural soil and their bioaccumulation in Mentha arvensis.
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> Casey Miller with Andrew Neidhart as they prepared seedlings for controlled exposure experiments in soil mixed with uranium and microplastics. The students use pink lights to represent the necessary spectrum colors that promote healthy plant growth. Miller and Neidhart work with project leader Jose Cerrato to understand how microplastics in the environment can interact with metals and affect plant growth and health.
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Advisory Board Service
Kuddos to Dr. Johnnye Lewis for being unanimously approved on June 20th for a County Commission appointment to the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board!
The nominating commissioner noted Dr. Lewis' acceptance of the position as an important step in increasing the professional expertise on the board.
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METALS Research presented at NM Groundwater Conference
- Drs. Lewis and Cerrato are invited speakers at the New Mexico Groundwater Conference in Albuquerque, NM on July 27th.
Presentations:
Dr Johnnye Lewis, "Health Disparities in New Mexico resulting from Contaminated Groundwater Supply Sources Impacted by Legacy mining"
Dr. Jose Cerrato, "The Impact of Uranium Mining on Water Supply in New Mexico and the Navajo Nation: The Chemistry of Contamination and the Feasibility of Remediation."
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
Beene, D., Collender, P., Cardenas, A., Harvey, C., Huhmann, L., Lin, Y., Lewis, J., LoIacono, N., Navas-Acien, A., Nigra, A. and Steinmaus, C., 2022. A mass-balance approach to evaluate As intake and excretion in different populations. Environment International, p.107371.
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DeVore, C.L., Rodriguez-Freire, L., Villa, N., Soleimanifar, M., Gonzalez-Estrella, J., Ali, A.M.S., Lezama-Pacheco, J., Ducheneaux, C. and Cerrato, J.M., 2022. Mobilization of As, Fe, and Mn from Contaminated Sediment in Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions: Chemical or Microbiological Triggers?. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00370
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Read Previous Newsletters
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NIH/NIEHS P42 ES025589 (UNM METALS) This material was developed in part under cited research awards to the University of New Mexico. It has not been formally reviewed by the funding agencies. The views expressed are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the agencies. The funders do not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation.
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