Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Chicago received a $435,145 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113), effective July 11, 2026 through July 10, 2028. This award supports research to develop laboratory capabilities and infrastructure for measuring arsenic (As) species, including both trivalent and pentavalent forms, in human cells collected from Bangladeshi individuals across a range of arsenic exposure levels. The project addresses critical gaps in understanding arsenic metabolism efficiency (AME)—the variability in human ability to methylate ingested inorganic arsenic—by measuring As species directly in cellular samples rather than relying solely on urine or whole blood analysis. This approach will enable more accurate quantification of toxic intermediates, such as trivalent monomethylated arsenic (MMAIII), which cannot be reliably measured in urine due to instability, and will improve understanding of genetic and demographic factors affecting arsenic-related health risks in exposed populations.

The research responds to significant public health concerns, as approximately 200 million people worldwide consume arsenic-contaminated drinking water, with over 2 million exposed in the United States. By establishing the capability to measure arsenic species distribution across human tissues and cell types, this project will advance risk assessment methodologies and support evidence-based strategies to reduce arsenic exposure burden and improve population health outcomes.