Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A3]

Mechanisms of Kidney Damage Induced by Water Contaminants

Presenter: Sacha Vazquez

Faculty Sponsor: Reena Randhir

School: Springfield Technical Community College

Research Area: Biology

ABSTRACT

Optimal kidney function is necessary for maintaining homeostasis in the body, however, its function is increasingly threatened by contaminants in the environment, especially drinking water. Poor water quality is known to harm kidney health, but the exact cellular and physiological mechanisms through which common pollutants cause damage are poorly understood. The objective of this research was to explore the ways that prevalent waterborne pollutants such as heavy metals and organic chemicals compromise renal homeostasis. The methodology was a systematic review of recent peer-reviewed articles from PubMed. Key pollutants such as cadmium, arsenic, and nitrates harm the kidneys by causing oxidative stress, triggering programmed cell death (apoptosis), and tissue scarring, which contributes directly to kidney dysfunction and disease. In a study conducted in 2025, it was found that retinoic acid (RA) protected kidney cells from cadmium. It worked by blocking the “executioner” enzyme (caspase-3) in a new way that did not involve the usual RA receptors.  A range of damage was observed (from necrosis to fibrosis), and a precise way was identified to stop one major type of damage (apoptosis from cadmium). This research connects specific contaminant exposures to risk for kidney dysfunction and possibly pointed to ways to reduce their health risk. Analysis confirmed that water contaminants compromise renal homeostasis through specific, overlapping mechanisms, primarily apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The results provided evidence that environmental exposure directly causes changes at the cellular level. These findings help shift the focus from observational associations to underlying biological mechanisms.

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