# The UNC Chapel Hill Superfund Research Program (UNC-SRP)

> **NIH NIH P42** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $2,733,717

## Abstract

ABSTRACT: THE UNC-CHAPEL HILL SUPERFUND RESEARCH PROGRAM
The interdisciplinary Superfund Research Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-SRP)
will address serious public health challenges faced by communities in North Carolina (NC) and across the nation
related to inorganic arsenic (iAs). The UNC-SRP prioritizes iAs as the focus contaminant as it is highly relevant
to millions in NC and the US exposed to unsafe levels. In NC, contamination is derived from both geogenic
sources and industrial activities (e.g. superfund sites and coal ash contamination) polluting thousands of private
wells. An estimated ~3 million individuals in NC, representing one third of the state’s population, drink water from
private wells, with iAs ranging up to 800 ppb. These populations are largely located in the rural areas of NC with
established environmental justice conditions. Moreover, iAs contamination reverberates across the state and is
locally and nationally-relevant. Related to public health risk, exposure to iAs has been established to be
associated with metabolic dysfunction/diabetes. There is a significant gap in the knowledge of factors that drive
iAs-induced diabetes risk. The identification of these factors would facilitate development of novel
solutions/interventions to reduce the prevalence of iAs-associated diabetes, as well as other diseases associated
with iAs exposure. Our unique scientific theme is “Identifying novel methods to reduce iAs exposure and
elucidating mechanisms underlying iAs-induced metabolic dysfunction with a vision for disease
prevention.” We address this with three aims: (1) Discover biological mechanisms and susceptibility factors
underlying iAs-associated metabolic dysfunction/diabetes; (2) Develop novel methods and technologies to
predict iAs contamination and reduce iAs exposure; (3) Translate the science of the UNC-SRP to key
stakeholders in NC and the larger SRP program, and engage vulnerable communities. The UNC-SRP comprises
five research projects. Projects 1-3 use highly translational techniques spanning in vitro and in vivo models, and
human populations to understand mechanisms of iA-induced diabetes. Projects 4-5 advance the ability to predict
iAs contamination in private drinking wells and innovative methods for enhanced removal of iAs. With relevance
to the national SRP program, we will work with site managers at the Fairfax St. Wood Treaters Superfund site.
Five Cores include the Administrative Core, the Community Engagement Core, Data management and Analysis
Core (DMAC), Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC), and Chemistry and Analysis
Core (CAC). These Cores facilitate administration, community engagement with our partners Clean Water for
NC and the Winyah Rivers Foundation, data management and analysis, training, and chemical analyses. In sum,
the UNC-SRP mission is to develop new solutions for iAs reduction and disease prevention through
mechanistic and translational re...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9841111
- **Project number:** 1P42ES031007-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Rebecca Fry
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $2,733,717
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-02-20 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9841111

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9841111, The UNC Chapel Hill Superfund Research Program (UNC-SRP) (1P42ES031007-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9841111. Licensed CC0.

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