CAREER: The Fate of Hormones in the Aquatic Environment

9734130 Sedlak本研究的目的是研究天然和合成激素在三种水生环境中的命运-实验室，废水处理和天然河流。由于激素与人类和野生动物的内分泌系统相互作用，必须了解内分泌干扰物的影响，并将其反映在有关化学品使用和水资源管理及水再利用的环境政策中。到目前为止，大多数关于内分泌干扰的研究都集中在工业化学品上，如杀虫剂，增塑剂和表面活性剂。然而，微量的天然和合成激素会导致内分泌干扰，以前对尿液中雌激素和相关化合物的测量表明，这些激素可能比废水中发现的其他化合物对内分泌干扰更重要。 为了了解废水作为内分泌干扰物来源的重要性，将进行研究以确定雌激素的环境归宿。在该项目的第一阶段，将开发新的分析方法，利用酶联免疫吸附测定法和气相色谱法测量环境相关浓度的雌激素。然后，这些方法将用于评估在废水处理过程中雌激素的去除及其在接收大量经处理的废水的河流中的命运。 将在公共论坛上制作和展示一系列互动示范，教育公众了解新出现的水资源问题。为了向环境工程专业的学生提供解决与资源保护和再利用有关的问题所需的技能，将开发一系列研究生课程。这些课程将包括讲座课程，实验室课程和研究生研讨会，突出环境工程师在解决与资源保护和再利用有关的问题中可以发挥的作用。

9734130 Sedlak The objective of this research is to study the fate of natural and synthetic hormones in three aquatic environments- laboratory, wastewater treatment and natural river. Since hormones interact with the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife, the effect of endocrine disruptors must be understood and reflected in environmental policies about chemical use and the management of water resources and water reuse. To date, most research on endocrine disruption has focused on industrial chemicals, such as pesticides, plasticizers and surfactants. However, trace amounts of natural and synthetic hormones can cause endocrine disruption and previous measurements of estrogen and related compounds in urine suggest that these hormones could be more important to endocrine disruption than other compounds found in wastewater effluent. To access the importance of wastewater effluent as a source of endocrine disrupters, research will be conducted to determine the environmental fate of estrogens. In the first phase of this project, new analytical methods will be developed for measuring estrogens at environmentally relevant concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and gas chromatography. These methods will then be used to assess the removal of estrogens during wastewater treatment and their fate in a river that receives significant discharges of treated wastewater. A series of interactive demonstrations will be developed and displayed at public forums to educate the public about emerging water resource issues. To provide environmental engineering students with the skills needed to address problems associated with resource conservation and reuse, a series of graduate-level courses will be developed. These courses will consist of a lecture course, a laboratory course and a graduate seminar that highlight the role that environmental engineers can play in solving problems related to the conservation and reuse of resources.