CAREER: Impacts of Lake Browning on the Photochemical Fate of Organic Micropollutants

湖泊是重要的自然水系统，为人类和生态系统提供关键服务，包括饮用水供应，渔业，娱乐活动和气候调节。湖泊的长期水质变化趋势往往是地方、区域或全球环境变化的指标。纽约州和美国东北部地区的许多内陆湖泊正在经历布朗宁，这是由于有机物成分、水文气候强迫和土地利用模式的变化而导致的水颜色的增加。这些湖泊中的许多湖泊还从其流域接收大量的有机微污染物（OMP）。然而，布朗宁对湖泊中OMP的光化学转化和命运的影响的基本认识仍然是难以捉摸的。这个CAREER项目的总体目标是表征和量化布朗宁对纽约州内陆湖泊中OMP阳光驱动转化的影响。这项研究的成功完成将通过产生新的数据和基础知识，以支持适应性湖泊监测计划和水处理实践的发展，以管理和最大限度地减少湖泊布朗宁对纽约州水质的影响，从而使社会受益。通过学生教育和培训，包括指导一名研究生和一名高中生在锡拉丘兹大学的暑期实习生，将进一步造福社会。在纽约州和美国东北部地区的许多内陆湖泊正在经历增加的水的颜色（布朗宁），由于其有机物质的组成的变化，同时接收来自其流域的有机微污染物（OMP）的显着输入。对于依赖湖泊供应饮用水的社区和公用事业，湖泊布朗宁可能导致水处理成本的增加（例如，增加化学品和能源消耗），以去除OMP并达到保护人类和生态系统健康所需的饮用水质量标准。然而，在布朗宁对湖泊中OMP的反应性和归宿的影响的基本理解方面存在着关键的知识差距。这个职业生涯项目将解决这些知识差距。为了推进这一目标，首席研究员（PI）建议评估的影响，在湖泊有机物组成和反应性的光化学（阳光驱动）的OMP在纽约（NY）内陆湖泊的状态转换的褐变引起的变化。研究的具体目标是：（1）与纽约州公民湖泊评估计划合作，对内陆湖泊沃茨的光反应性进行广泛的表征，以确定驱动湖泊间光反应性变化的关键有机物特性;（2）检查来自受酸影响的湖泊流域的外来有机物对湖泊中OMP光化学转化的影响;（3）评估藻类水华和污水处理厂排放物中的原生有机物对湖泊中OMPs光化学转化的影响。该项目的成功完成有可能产生变革性的影响，通过产生新的数据和基本知识，以支持流域管理决策和水处理做法，这将是管理和减轻湖泊布朗宁对水质的影响所必需的。为了实现这个职业生涯项目的教育和培训目标，PI将开发并将新的基于探究的模块纳入锡拉丘兹大学（SU）的三门环境工程课程。此外，本发明还提供了一种方法，PI计划在SU开发和提供外展计划，以1）扩大代表性不足群体的学生在水质研究中的参与，2）促进湖泊社区成员和公众与纽约公民全州湖泊评估计划合作的环境素养。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Lakes are key natural water systems that provide critical services to people and ecosystems including the supply of drinking water, fishing, recreational activities, and climate regulation. Long-term water quality trends in lakes often serve as indicators of local, regional, or global environmental changes. Many inland lakes in the State of New York and the northeastern regions of the United States are experiencing browning, an increase in water color due to changing organic matter compositions, hydroclimatic forcings, and land use patterns. Many of these lakes also receive significant inputs of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from their watersheds. However, a fundamental understanding of the impact of browning on the photochemical transformations and fate of OMPs in lakes has remained elusive. The overarching goal of this CAREER project is to characterize and quantify the impact of browning on the sunlight-driven transformations of OMPs in inland lakes of the State of New York. The successful completion of this research will benefit society through the generation of new data and fundamental knowledge to support the development of adaptive lake monitoring programs and water treatment practices to manage and minimize the impact of lake browning on water quality in the State of New York. Further benefits to society will be achieved through student education and training including the mentoring of a graduate student and a high-school student summer intern at Syracuse University. Many inland lakes in the State of New York and the northeastern regions of the United States are experiencing an increase in water color (browning) due to changing compositions of their organic matter while receiving significant inputs of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from their watersheds. For communities and utilities that rely on lakes for the supply of drinking water, lake browning might lead to an increase of water treatment costs (e.g., increasing chemical and energy consumption) to remove OMPs and achieve the drinking water quality standards required to protect human and ecosystem health. However, there are critical knowledge gaps in the fundamental understanding of the impact of browning on the reactivity and fate of OMPs in lakes. This CAREER project will address these knowledge gaps. To advance this goal, the Principal Investigator (PI) proposes to evaluate the impacts of browning-induced changes in lake organic matter composition and reactivity on the photochemical (sunlight-driven) transformations of OMPs in the State of New York (NY) inland lakes. The specific objectives of the research are to: (1) Conduct a broad characterization of the photoreactivity of inland lake waters in collaboration with the NY Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program to identify key organic matter properties driving the inter-lake variability in photoreactivity; (2) Examine the impact of allochthonous organic matter from acid-impacted lake watersheds on the photochemical transformations of OMPs in lakes; and (3) Evaluate the impacts of autochthonous organic matter from algal blooms and the effluents of wastewater treatment plants on the photochemical transformations of OMPs in lakes. The successful completion of this project has the potential for transformative impact through the generation of new data and fundamental knowledge to support the watershed management decisions and water treatment practices that will be required to manage and mitigate the impact of lake browning on water quality. To implement the educational and training goals of this CAREER project, the PI will develop and incorporate new inquiry-based modules into three environmental engineering courses at Syracuse University (SU). In addition, the PI plans to develop and deliver outreach programs at SU to 1) broaden the participation of students from underrepresented groups in water quality research and 2) promote environmental literacy among lake community members and the public in collaboration with the NY Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.