# Spatial patterns of metals and metal mixtures in drinking water

> **NIH NIH P42** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2020 · $225,566

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
In 2016, approximately 15 million people lived within one mile of Superfund sites, including approximately 5% of
all children in the United States (US) under 5 years of age. Lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd) are
among the top ten contaminants on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s 2017 Substances
Priorities List for Superfund sites. These and other metals/metalloids can contaminate surface waters and
groundwater systems, leading to elevated exposures through drinking water. Across the US, tens of millions of
individuals consume drinking water with concentrations of heavy metals in excess of regulatory guidelines.
Exposures to heavy metals have been associated with many negative impacts on public health, including impacts
on neurodevelopment and cognitive aging. However, the contribution of different Superfund sites to this
contamination problem remains poorly characterized on a national scale. This is important because regulations
for drinking water contaminants and risk mitigation actions are often undertaken at the federal level, but most
prior work has focused on site-specific studies. Proximity to Superfund sites may be associated with higher risk
of contamination by heavy metal mixtures in tap water. This relationship is likely more prominent in private wells
than in municipal drinking water supplies, where the finished water quality is influenced by water treatment
technologies. Across different geographic areas, there are considerable differences in municipal water treatment
technology and continuous development of innovative technologies, but little information is available on how this
affects spatial patterns of metal concentrations in tap water. In Aim 1, we will characterize the role of Superfund
sites across the country for heavy metals in private wells by developing novel hybrid mechanistic-empirical
models for heavy metals across the US using a large database of measurements in groundwater from the USGS,
locations of point sources such as Superfund sites, and hydrogeological features/predictors that affect the fate
and transport of trace metals. For Aim 2, we will use new measurements and models to identify the spatial co-
occurrence of different metal mixtures relevant to human exposures from drinking water. This analysis will be
used to identify the composition of metal mixtures for in vitro toxicity tests on brain organoids in Project 2. Aim 3
will leverage >28 million measurements of heavy metals from municipal water supplies to field-evaluate the role
of different treatment technologies. This will provide insights into the effectiveness of treatment technologies and
can help inform Project 4 as well as Superfund site managers responsible for remediation. This project provides
a link between biomedical research in the MEMCARE Center, human exposures, and potential benefits of
remediation technology being developed in Project 4.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9840757
- **Project number:** 1P42ES030990-01
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Elsie Mareca Sunderland
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $225,566
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9840757

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9840757, Spatial patterns of metals and metal mixtures in drinking water (1P42ES030990-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9840757. Licensed CC0.

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