Hosted by the SOT Risk Assessment and Mixtures Specialty Sections
Registration is required for this free webinar
Long-term exposure to multiple chemicals—even at low levels—together with additional stressors such as heat poses significant risks to human health by increasing susceptibility to chronic disease. A striking example is the growing global burden of kidney disease, including the emergence of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in hot tropical agricultural communities in regions such as Mesoamerica, India, and Sri Lanka. A major challenge in CKDu research is disentangling the complex roles of chemical mixture exposures—particularly from contaminated drinking water—and their synergistic interactions with heat stress in disease initiation and progression. Our studies in CKDu-affected communities in Sri Lanka looks to address these challenges by integrating population health analyses, exposure assessment, chemical mixture toxicity screening, and mechanistic studies using animal models. While these studies are ongoing, data to date indicate a substantial chemical burden associated with CKDu incidence, implicating long-term disruption of the mitochondrial–lysosomal axis—driven by exposure to metals and pesticides such as glyphosate—as a potential mechanism in disease initiation and progression, with outdoor heat exposure likely acting as an important exacerbating factor. Collectively, this work represents a multidisciplinary framework essential for confronting global environmental health challenges.
Speaker
Nishad Jayasundra, PhD
Juil Plant Grainger Assistant Professor of Global Environmental Health
Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC