IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i24p13378-d706021.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Potential Human Health Hazard of Post-Hurricane Harvey Sediments in Galveston Bay and Houston Ship Channel: A Case Study of Using In Vitro Bioactivity Data to Inform Risk Management Decisions

Author

Listed:
  • Zunwei Chen

    (Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Suji Jang

    (Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • James M. Kaihatu

    (Civil & Environmental Engineering and Ocean Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Yi-Hui Zhou

    (Biological Sciences and Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA)

  • Fred A. Wright

    (Biological Sciences and Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA)

  • Weihsueh A. Chiu

    (Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Ivan Rusyn

    (Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

Abstract

Natural and anthropogenic disasters may be associated with redistribution of chemical contaminants in the environment; however, current methods for assessing hazards and risks of complex mixtures are not suitable for disaster response. This study investigated the suitability of in vitro toxicity testing methods as a rapid means of identifying areas of potential human health concern. We used sediment samples (n = 46) from Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel (GB/HSC) areas after hurricane Harvey, a disaster event that led to broad redistribution of chemically-contaminated sediments, including deposition of the sediment on shore due to flooding. Samples were extracted with cyclohexane and dimethyl sulfoxide and screened in a compendium of human primary or induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell lines from different tissues (hepatocytes, neuronal, cardiomyocytes, and endothelial) to test for concentration-dependent effects on various functional and cytotoxicity phenotypes (n = 34). Bioactivity data were used to map areas of potential concern and the results compared to the data on concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the same samples. We found that setting remediation goals based on reducing bioactivity is protective of both “known” risks associated with PAHs and “unknown” risks associated with bioactivity, but the converse was not true for remediation based on PAH risks alone. Overall, we found that in vitro bioactivity can be used as a comprehensive indicator of potential hazards and is an example of a new approach method (NAM) to inform risk management decisions on site cleanup.

Suggested Citation

  • Zunwei Chen & Suji Jang & James M. Kaihatu & Yi-Hui Zhou & Fred A. Wright & Weihsueh A. Chiu & Ivan Rusyn, 2021. "Potential Human Health Hazard of Post-Hurricane Harvey Sediments in Galveston Bay and Houston Ship Channel: A Case Study of Using In Vitro Bioactivity Data to Inform Risk Management Decisions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-16, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13378-:d:706021
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13378/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13378/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jennifer A Horney & Gaston A Casillas & Erin Baker & Kahler W Stone & Katie R Kirsch & Krisa Camargo & Terry L Wade & Thomas J McDonald, 2018. "Comparing residential contamination in a Houston environmental justice neighborhood before and after Hurricane Harvey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sara M. Amolegbe & Adeline R. Lopez & Maria L. Velasco & Danielle J. Carlin & Michelle L. Heacock & Heather F. Henry & Brittany A. Trottier & William A. Suk, 2022. "Adapting to Climate Change: Leveraging Systems-Focused Multidisciplinary Research to Promote Resilience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-18, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Garett Sansom & Leslie Cizmas & Kathleen Aarvig & Benika Dixon & Katie R. Kirsch & Anjali Katare & Lindsay Sansom, 2019. "Vulnerable Populations Exposed to Lead-Contaminated Drinking Water within Houston Ship Channel Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-8, August.
    2. Sara M. Amolegbe & Adeline R. Lopez & Maria L. Velasco & Danielle J. Carlin & Michelle L. Heacock & Heather F. Henry & Brittany A. Trottier & William A. Suk, 2022. "Adapting to Climate Change: Leveraging Systems-Focused Multidisciplinary Research to Promote Resilience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Samantha M. Samon & Diana Rohlman & Lane G. Tidwell & Peter D. Hoffman & Abiodun O. Oluyomi & Kim A. Anderson, 2022. "Associating Increased Chemical Exposure to Hurricane Harvey in a Longitudinal Panel Using Silicone Wristbands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-15, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13378-:d:706021. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.