U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: Novel Characterization of Humic Substances and Their Role in the Behavior of Environmental Toxic Substances Using HPLC/MS/MS

该奖项支持伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的Roger Minear教授和日本京都大学的三郎松井教授之间为期三年的合作研究项目。研究人员将对腐殖质的新特性及其在环境有毒物质行为中的作用进行研究。整体研究工作的基本假设是，天然有机物和腐植质物质作为一个子集，通过复杂的相互作用影响人为化合物的环境毒理学，这些相互作用可以影响膜运输和毒理学反应机制。在采用膜分离和粒径排除柱等分离原理后，样品将使用高效液相色谱（HPLC）和串联质谱（MS/MS）进行分析。这项工作将促进人们对腐殖质及其与选定环境污染物结合的认识。预计将在一定程度上获得分子量和碎片模式的特征，从而获得以前无法获得的有关实际分子量的信息。目标是开发新的工艺，以提高腐殖质材料的特定分子结构的识别。该项目汇集了两个具有互补专业知识、研究能力和设备的实验室的努力。伊利诺伊大学带来了天然有机物质和腐殖质分离和浓缩方面的专业知识，以及合作研究努力的新方法。日本研究人员正在对琵琶湖的微污染物影响进行研究，琵琶湖是日本最大的淡水水体，对包括大阪和京都在内的几个主要城市具有重要的经济意义。最近获得的主要设备，以及京都大学研究人员最先进的分析能力，将为饮用水研究和先进毒理学技术的高级研究提供机会。通过思想和技术的交流，该项目将扩大我们的基础知识基础，促进国际了解与合作。* * *

9726617 Minear This award supports a three year collaborative research project between Professor Roger Minear of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Professor Saburo Matsui of Kyoto University in Japan. The researchers will undertake a study of novel characterization of humic substances and their role in the behavior of environmental toxic substances. The underlying hypothesis of the overall research effort is that natural organic matter, and humic substances as a subset, affect the environmental toxicology of anthropogenic compounds through complex interactions that can affect membrane transport and mechanisms of toxicological reactions. Following separation by membrane fractionation and employing size exclusion columns and other partitioning principles, samples will be analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) interfaced with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). This work should advance knowledge about humic substances and their combination with selected environmental contaminants. It is anticipated that characterization of molecular weight and fragmentation patterns will be obtained at a level leading to information regarding actual molecular weights not previously available. The goal is to develop new processes to enhance the identification of the specific molecular structure of humic materials. This project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise, research capabilities and equipment. The University of Illinois brings expertise in the isolation and concentration of natural organic matter and humic substances plus new approaches to the cooperative research endeavor. The Japanese researchers have an ongoing research effort on the study of micropollutant effects in Lake Biwa, the largest fresh water body in Japan that isof great economic importance to several major cities including Osaka and Kyoto. Recent acquisition of major equipment, along with the state-of the-art analytic al capabilities of researchers at Kyoto University, will offer opportunities for advanced studies of drinking water research and advanced toxicological techniques. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. ***