METALS Superfund Research Program Center

The UNM Metal Exposure and Toxicity Assessment on Tribal Lands in the Southwest (UNM METALS) Superfund Research Program Center, the first of its kind in the nation, is dedicated to studying the toxic effects of mixed metals and uranium exposure on tribal communities in the Southwest.

Years of mining waste on tribal lands has left Native Americans with numerous health problems. The health effects have been profound, and the center is conducting further research to determine the best methods for remediation of mine waste sites and risk reduction strategies within communities to help curb further exposure to the contaminants. The West is home to more than 4,000 uranium mines and some 160,000 abandoned hard rock mines. About 600,000 Native Americans live within 10 kilometers of the sites.

The center is funded through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS grant #NIEHS 1 P42 ES025589).