University of New Mexico
METALS
Superfund Center
Metals Exposure and Toxicity Assessment on Tribal Lands in the Southwest
Welcome to our May 2024 Newsletter!
 UNM METALS SRP Center
Informing Policy
Collaboration between UNM and U of A SRP Centers
informs new EPA rules on power plant emissions.

Researchers from UNM METALS and U of Arizona Superfund Centers collaborated on the white paper "Toxicity Review of Metals Emissions from Coal-fired Power Plants." The report summarized recent science on toxicity of metals emitted from coal- and oil-fired power plants, including uranium, and their mixtures. The report was commissioned by the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy (CAELP) and was entered into the docket in 2022 in response to the USEPA request for comments on air pollutants from these power plants to inform the subsequent rule. The resulting rule just released in April 2024 significantly reduces the allowable emissions of metals. 
Indigenous Leaders Confront U.S. Government on its Uranium Exploitation Policies at Historic IACHR Hearing in D.C.

In July 2023, METALS and SRIC researchers worked with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center to help organize a tour of uranium mine sites on Native lands in the Southwest as part of a tour and meetings with members of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The group visited the Village of Paguate at the Pueblo of Laguna, Red Water Pond Road Community, and Crownpoint Chapter on Navajo Nation. The tour culminated with a presentation by the IACHR commissioners and staff on international criteria for protecting Indigenous people from the effects of extractive industries. On February 28th 2024, many of the individuals who participated in the tour gave testimony to the seven-member IACHR at a hearing in Washington, DC.
The testimonies by tribal peoples affected by uranium development received national media attention from National Public Radio(Feb 29), Greenwire, and Inside Climate News, among others.
Remediation Strategies Highlighted in
NIEHS Environmental Factor Report

A highlight in NIEHS Environmental Factor, “Natural materials can remove uranium and arsenic from water” references work from METALS environmental science and engineering projects as one of the "papers of the month".
Citation:
Meza I, et al. 2023. Removal of aqueous uranyl and arsenate mixtures after reaction with limestone, PO43-, and Ca2. Environ Sci Technol 57(49):20881–20892.
TRAINEE HIGHLIGHTS
Robyn Turner

Robyn Turner is a pharmacy student conducting reserarch with Dr. Bolt on METALS Bioporject Lung. Robyn was awarded an (APhA) Student Leadership Award which is awarded to four of more than 100 student pharmacists that applied in the United States based on academics and leadership. She recently won 1st place for best inter-departmental collaborative research poster for her poster on “Single-cell RNA Sequencing Analysis of Lung Tissue Following Inhalation Exposure to Woodsmoke in the Southwestern United States” at UNM's College of Pharmacy Research Scholarship Day in April 2024.
Abigail Granath

Abigail Granath is a first year Ph.D. student in the Biology Department at the University of New Mexico working with Dr. Jennifer Rudgers and Dr. Jose Cerrato. She is a METALS SRP trainee and research assistant in the Biology Department. Abigail’s research focuses of the stress tolerances of plant-associated fungi and their potential to bioremediate heavy metals in soils and water systems impacted by mining legacy. She is most proud of her involvement in sci-art collaborations including her role as a science collaborator for the Shared.Futures SciArt program.
AWARDS

A METALS publication1 receives the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)/Mary Ann Liebert Award for Publication Excellence. This prestigious award is given annually to the authors of an outstanding paper published in Environmental Engineering Science during the previous calendar year.
1Quiambao et al. Interfacial Interactions of Uranium and Arsenic with Microplastics: From Field Detection to Controlled Laboratory Tests. Environmental Engineering Science. 2023 Jun 12. https://doi.org/10.1089/ees.2023.0054

Dr. Sarah Blossom has been selected to receive the 2024 Hadley Distinguished Scholar Award. She was selected by the Dean’s Executive Leadership Committee based on her substantial research and service contributions to the field of immunotoxicology.

Dr. Jorge Gonzalez Estrella, previous METALS trainee, was recently awarded an NSF CAREER Award for work on "Reactivity and mobility of micro- and nanoplastics from open burning of solid waste in underserved communities"!!

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND RESEARCH TRANSLATION
Native STEAM Day Outreach at Explora Museum

Mallery Quetawki, Jessica Begay, and Jose Cerrato shared information on METALS and the UNM Community Environmental Health Program at the Native STEAM Day in Albuquerque, NM on April 26, 2024.



UNM Podcast on Uranium and Toxic Metals Exposure

On the May 7th episode of “It’s (probably) Not Rocket Science”, a science podcast from UNM, METALS Director Jose M. Cerrato is interviewed regarding abandoned uranium mines, METALS remediation research, and building strong relationships within Tribal communities.
SOT POSTERS

METALS posters presented at the 2024 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual meeting (selected)
March 10-12, 2024. Salt Lake City, UT

Jorge Moreno “Investigating immune dysregulation mechanisms following inhalation exposure to uranium bearing dust”

Charlotte McVeigh “Investigating bone marrow adipocytes and their function in enhanced breast cancer metastasis following tungsten exposure in orthotopic mouse models”

Sumira Phatak “Single nucleus transcriptome analysis to investigate the effects of gestational ozone exposure within the brain”

Rachel Speer “Zinc modulation of arsenic- and ultraviolet radiation-induced changes in gene expression”

Jodi Schilz “Normal human kidney cell response to environmental metals”

Robyn Turner “Single Cell RNA Sequencing Analysis of Lung Tissue Following Inhalation Exposure to Woodsmoke”

Sydnee Yazzie “Influence of Ovarian Hormones on Hematopoiesis During Acute Woodsmoke Exposure”

Jason Zhang, “Immunomodulation of THP1 Derived Macrophages by Single and Co-exposure of Trichloroethylene and Arsenic”

NEW PUBLICATIONS


Miller C, Neidhart A, Hess K, Ali AM, Benavidez A, Spilde M, Peterson E, Brearley A, Wang X, Dhanapala BD, Cerrato JM. Uranium accumulation in environmentally relevant microplastics and agricultural soil at acidic and circumneutral pH. Science of The Total Environment. 2024 May 20;926:171834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171834


Levin R, Villanueva CM, Beene D, Cradock AL, Donat-Vargas C, Lewis J, Martinez-Morata I, Minovi D, Nigra AE, Olson ED, Schaider LA. US drinking water quality: exposure risk profiles for seven legacy and emerging contaminants. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. 2024 Jan;34(1):3-22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10907308/


Atanga R, Appell LL, Lauer FT, Brearley A, Campen MJ, Castillo EF, In JG. Uranium-bearing dust induces differentiation and expansion of enteroendocrine cells in human colonoids. bioRxiv. 2023 Aug 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10441413/


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.