Biochemical and Exposure Science Group

Projects and Programs

Plastic Pollution Measurement Science

While plastics have yielded immense benefits to society, discarded plastics or plastic pollution has become a pervasive highly visible problem especially in the

Measurement Science of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards & Technology are creating reference materials and data resources to address the per- and polyfluoroalkyl

Metabolomics Quality Assurance and Quality Control Materials (MetQual) Program

The NIST Metabolomics Quality Assurance and Quality Control Materials (MetQual) Program has been created to demonstrate and improve the comparability of

Vertebrate Endocrine Metrology in Non-Traditional Matrices

The monitoring of wildlife and broodstock health through endocrine assessments is critical to understanding reproduction and stress. However, collection of

Publications

Identifying risk factors for levels of perfluoroalkyl substances in the placenta in a high-risk pregnancy cohort in North Carolina

December 31, 2020

Author(s)

Jacqueline T. Bangma, Lauren A. Eaves, Kirsi Oldenburg, Jessica L. Reiner, Tracy Manuck, Rebecca C. Fry

Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a ubiquitous class of chemicals, is associated with adverse outcomes such as preeclampsia, low infant

TRACE ELEMENT CONCENTRATIONS IN BLOOD AND SCUTE TISSUES FROM WILD AND CAPTIVE HAWAIIAN GREEN SEA TURTLES (CHELONIA MYDAS)

October 16, 2020

Author(s)

Katherine R. Shaw, Jennifer M. Lynch, George H. Balazs, T. T. Jones, Jeff Pawloski, Marc Rice, Amanda French, Jing Liu, David Klein

Hawaiian green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are exposed to trace elements through water, sediment, and food. High concentrations of elements have been shown to

Developing Unique Non-Target High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Signatures to Track Contaminant Sources in Urban Waters

October 14, 2020

Author(s)

Bowen Du, Zhenyu Tian, Katherine T. Peter, Edward P. Kolodziej, Charles S. Wong

Non-point source pollution in urban receiving waters often adversely impacts both humans and ecosystems. Identifying such pollution sources is challenging and

Proteomics in non-model organisms: a new analytical frontier

August 10, 2020

Author(s)

Michelle Heck, Benjamin A. Neely

For the last century we have relied on model organisms to help understand fundamental biological processes. Now, with advancements in genome sequencing

News and Updates

A woman with safety goggles and gloves stands at a lab bench.

A Better Alternative to Phthalates?

September 25, 2020

Detergents, shampoos, soaps and other everyday items sometimes contain a group of chemicals called phthalates, which are often used to enhance products and add

A large brown seal is in the snow. It has whiskers that look like a beard on a human male.

NIST Helps Expand Genome Sequencing of Marine Mammals

May 7, 2020

Researchers will soon have access to the full genomic sequences for 23 marine mammal species preserved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology

A large polar bear is jumping from one block of ice to another.

Many Arctic Pollutants Decrease After Market Removal and Regulation

August 27, 2018

Levels of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) regulated by the Stockholm Convention are decreasing in the Arctic, according to an international team of

How the Cone Snail’s Deadly Venom Can Help Us Build Better Medicines

October 10, 2017

Cone snails have inspired humans for centuries. Coastal communities have often traded their beautiful shells like money and put them in jewelry. Many artists

Awards

Katherine Peter Honored with Morgan Early Career Award

The James J. Morgan Early Career Award is named after the first Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Science & Technology, and aims to recognize...

Press Coverage

Toxic chemicals banned 20 years ago finally disappearing from Arctic wildlife

Smithsonian

September 6, 2018

NIST measurements helped to demonstrate that concentrations of chemicals phased out according to the Stockholm Convention have decreased in Arctic wildlife.

Larval fish are eating microplastics in the Pacific Ocean

Oceanographic

"A study has found that plastic pieces outnumber larval fish numbers by seven to one in nursery waters off Hawaii."