Emory leads $15 million study on Superfund sites and Coastal Georgia health

Emory University will lead a research project to explore the link between Superfund sites and the health of Glynn County residents.

Superfund sites refer to industrial areas that the federal government has designated as highly contaminated and requiring monitoring and ongoing cleanup.

The five-year, $15 million study is funded through the National Institutes of Environmental Health and was awarded after Emory researchers completed a pilot study in 2023 in the county, which is home to Brunswick and St. George’s Island.

The research will be conducted in partnership with university faculty from the University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College, and Texas Tech University.

Dana Barr is the director of the new Superfund Research Center and professor of environmental health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

She told GPB News that it is important to understand whether exposure to toxic chemicals is an ongoing issue.

“We can prevent further exposure, and then we can try to understand what these chemicals are doing inside their bodies to them,” Barr said. “More than anything, I think the people in the area really want answers.” 

Healthy Coastal Neighborhoods, a group dedicated to promoting healthy neighborhoods, and Emory researchers will hold a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. on June 24 at Howard Coffin Park to share updates about the project.