Research Projects Overview

Chemicals are often used in industry to create products that benefit society or facilitate manufacturing, such as bubble baths, shampoo, laundry detergent, soap, and skin cleansers. Yale’s research focuses on a contaminant known as 1,4-dioxane (1,4-DX) because of its common occurrence in Superfund sites and drinking water supplies. The contaminant has been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Chemicals in these products are commonly assumed to be safe, leading to chemical handling and disposal consistent with a non-hazardous material, e.g., discharge into rivers, etc. Only relatively recently, it has been discovered that disposal and seepage of 1,4-DX from industrial enterprises have led to its infiltration into private wells and public drinking water resources.

As such, it is considered an emerging water contaminant consumed by many Americans daily. This is problematic because 1,4-DX exposure can cause adverse effects on health, one example of which is the induction of liver cancer. Understanding the mechanism by which 1,4-DX has such effects may facilitate the development of interventions that prevent its harmful health impact. It is essential to appreciate that other chemicals (e.g., trichloroethylene (TCE), 1,1-dichloroethane (DCA)) used with 1,4-DX in the industry can be found with 1,4-DX (i.e., act as co-contaminants) in these same water resources. It is currently unknown whether these substances impact the adverse health effects of 1,4-DX.

The Yale Superfund Research Center (YSRC) has four interdisciplinary research projects with the intent to:

1. Elucidate the mechanism(s) associated with 1,4-DX liver toxicity and carcinogenesis in mouse and zebrafish models and exposure assessment and early biologic responses to 1,4-DX in human populations.
   
2. Examine the health effects and biomarkers of exposure to 1,4-DX (alone and as a mixture with its co-occurring contaminants) in animals and humans, and (b) develop systems to monitor and mitigate human exposure to 1,4-DX in water.
   
3. Create highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensors for on-site, real-time detection of 1,4-DX.
   
4. Develop innovative advanced oxidation processes for mitigation technology.