Funding Cycle

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Thriving Communities 4

National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Strengthening the science and practice of resilience through research and capacity-building activities that account for the social, cultural, environmental, and health factors that influence a community’s ability to thrive. Improving the quality, accessibility, and use of information to minimize harm to individuals and communities from oil spills and similar stressors on health and well-being. Supporting community-driven and scientific activities that examine and address complex coastal risks and trade-offs at the intersections of societal, environmental, and energy-related needs.

Assessing Toxicity of Oil Weathered on the Sea Surface: The Importance of Oil Photo-Products

Oil floating at the ocean surface during an oil spill interacts with sunlight and forms “photo-products.” These photo-products are persistent and potentially toxic, but knowledge about their biological impacts, including ecosystem and human health risks, is limited. Thus, they are not adequately accounted for by decision makers when evaluating oil spill risks and impacts. This project, which includes practitioner engagement and input throughout, aims to address this knowledge gap and improve oil spill risk assessment by investigating the chemical composition, bioavailability, toxicity, and long-term health effects of oil photo-products and incorporating this information into models used for oil spill risk assessment.

Thriving Communities 4
National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Prioritizing Risks from Oil Spills: Supporting Decisions with Read-Across Using 21st Century Exposure and Toxicological Sciences

Current evaluations of public health impacts of oil spills are largely based on only what is known about a few specific chemicals in oil. However, an oil spill can involve a complex mix of interacting substances and environmental factors and this produces many unknowns that are either difficult or not currently possible to account for. Alternative approaches are needed to address existing limitations and improve assessment and decision-making processes relating to public health risks resulting from oil spills. This project, which includes interactions with a diverse range of practitioners, aims to address this need using new approaches and technologies in exposure science and toxicology that try to predict the toxicity of substances for which there is limited information using information from analogous or similar substances.

Thriving Communities 4
National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Christoph Aeppli
Senior Research Scientist
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

caeppli@bigelow.org

Weihsueh Chiu
Professor
Texas A&M University

wchiu@cvm.tamu.edu