# Project 3 - Effect of Extreme Weather on Potential Exposure of Contaminant Mixtures in Karst Water Systems

> **NIH NIH P42** · NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $252,767

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
We propose to assess the effect of extreme weather, such as hurricanes, droughts, and intense storms, on
risks for exposure to contaminant mixtures in karst water systems. Karst systems are important sources of
freshwater for human consumption, but are highly susceptible to contamination from multiple sources. As a
result, karst groundwater poses a significant risk for exposure to contaminant mixtures and hence health
impacts. Flow in these systems may occur through fractures, conduits, and rock matrix. Because of their
unique characteristics, karst systems respond differently to extreme weather conditions than other aquifers.
Under storm conditions, high loads of contaminants and sediments enter the subsurface and are transported
rapidly and unattenuated through conduits to storage and exposure points. Under dry conditions, sediments
are immobile; contaminants are stored in sediments and the rock matrix, and are slowly released over long
periods of time, resulting in long-term exposure. Differences in loads, physicochemical properties, mobility, and
storage characteristics result in dynamic and heterogeneous distribution of contaminants in karst waters.
However, little is known about how extreme weather impacts the dynamic distribution and exposure of
contaminant mixtures in karst water and how they may affect health.
The proposed work will assess the effect of extreme weather on (1) groundwater hydraulic and geochemical
conditions, (2) sediment transport, deposition, and potential interactions with contaminants, and (3) distribution
of contaminant mixtures at points of potential exposure. Building on previous findings and existing
infrastructure, the project focuses on the karst region of northern Puerto Rico, which is the focal area of
PROTECT’s work to study the impact of exposure to multiple Superfund-related contaminants on adverse
pregnancy outcomes. The contaminants to be studied are phthalates, pesticides, chlorinated volatile organic
compounds, and metals because they are commonly found in Superfund sites in karst regions in Puerto Rico
and can adversely affect pregnancy outcomes. The proposed research will apply innovative data analytics
techniques to mine, visualize, and extract patterns and facts from data, and utilize those facts to make
inferences and build data-based models. The models will be used to describe and predict the effect of extreme
weather on the distribution of mixtures at groundwater and tap water potential points of exposure. This work
will also assess the role of karst sediments in the fate and transport of contaminants during extreme weather
conditions through novel analysis of depth-related properties in sediment deposits from karst caves.
Through an integrated multidisciplinary approach, this project will contribute to the development of (i)
innovative methods for assessing exposure risks to multiple, superfund-related hazardous substances
(Projects 1 & 3) and their association to adverse pregnan...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10335262
- **Project number:** 5P42ES017198-12
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ingrid Y Padilla
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $252,767
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-04-12 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10335262

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10335262, Project 3 - Effect of Extreme Weather on Potential Exposure of Contaminant Mixtures in Karst Water Systems (5P42ES017198-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10335262. Licensed CC0.

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