Taylor Hoxie, PhD Candidate
Integrated Toxicology & Environmental Health Program
Duke University
She/Her/Hers
Description: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large class of compounds that have been produced since the 1940s. They are commonly used for their water, grease, and stain-repellent properties and as such have widespread use. Due to their use patterns and persistence, human exposure to PFASs is ubiquitous. Research on exposure to PFASs has mostly focused on exposure via contaminated drinking water and food. However, PFASs exposure is not limited to dietary sources. Consumer products and building materials can also serve as sources of PFASs in the indoor and ambient environment. In addition, some occupational exposures, such as firefighting, are thought to lead to elevated exposure to PFASs. First, we will show how silicone wristbands have been successfully implemented as personal passive samplers to evaluate ambient exposure to volatile and non-volatile PFASs. Second, we will investigate PFASs levels in paired samples of indoor air, dust, wristbands, and blood from a midwestern community to determine if wristbands can predict blood levels better than measures of air or dust. Lastly, we will use silicone wristbands to explore PFASs exposure in a NC Firefighter cohort and assess potential exposure associated with the use of firefighter turnout gear and fire calls. Overall, this research demonstrates that silicone wristbands can provide PFASs exposure measurements on an individual level which can aid in the evaluation of ambient PFASs exposure sources and behaviors that influence exposure.
About the speaker: Taylor is a 5th year PhD Candidate in the Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program at Duke University working in Dr. Heather Stapleton’s lab. Her research focuses on assessing exposure to PFASs in the indoor and ambient environment. Her thesis works includes the utilization of silicone wristbands as personal passive samplers to measure individual-level exposure to PFASs and highlights exposure to the more understudied polyfluoroalkyl precursors. Taylor earned her BS in Chemistry at Wake Forest University in 2017 and also worked for 2 years prior to graduate school at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.
Thursday, March 7, 2024, 12:00-1:15pm Eastern
Field Auditorium, Room 1112, Grainger Hall (9 Circuit Drive, Durham, NC)
This seminar will also be presented live via Panopto. Click HERE to join the livestream.