PI: Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta, Co-I: Xinxin Ding
Dr. Monica Ramírez-Andreotta, Associate Professor of Environmental Science received an UArizona’s Research, Innovation & Impact and the One Health Research Initiative Award #4606) titled "One Breathe in the Wake of Wildfires: Dust Generation and Contaminant Exposures from the Release and Remobilization of Contaminants”. A matching award from the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences also supports this research.
Research Question: Is dust generated from wildfire-impacted ecosystems proximal to mining leading to increased metal(loid) exposures in neighboring environmental justice communities?
Central hypothesis: When compared to samples from similar control regions not affected by wildfire, “wildfire dust” samples from mining communities affected by wildfire will have higher metal(loid) concentrations and yield higher serum levels of toxic metals in mice exposed to the dust via inhalation.
Action: Determine the chemical composition of generated dust at health-relevant aerodynamic diameters and then conduct an animal exposure model study to characterize the dose response via inhalation.
Environmental Health, Human Health
Environmental Health = Human Health